U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU,  OP  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  STATE  OF  INDIANA  DEPAKTUENT  OF 
GEOLOGY,  EDWARD  BARRETT,  STATE  GEOLOGIST. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  PORTER  COUNTY, 

INDIANA. 


BY 


T.  M.  BUSHNELL,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  ^igriculture, 

In  Charge,  and  WENDELL  BARRETT,  of  the  Indiana 

Department  of  Geology. 


W.  E.  McLENDON,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


[Adyance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1916.] 


UCLA  SEL/Geology  Collection 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OPPIOB. 

191& 


BUREAU  OP  SOILS. 


Milton  Whitney,  Chief  of  Bureau. 
Albert  G.  Rice,  Chief  Clerk. 


SOIL   SURVEY. 


Curtis  F.  Marbut,  In  Charge. 
G.  W.  Baumann,  Executive  Assistant. 

COMMirrEE   ON  THE   CORRELATION   AND   CLASSIFICATION   OF   SOILS. 

Curtis  F.  Marbut,  Chairman. 
Hugh  H.  Bennett,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
W.  Edward  Hearn,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
TiioMAS  D.  Rice,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 
W.  E.  McLendon,  Inspector,  Northern  Di^ision. 
Macy  H.  Lapham,  Inspector,  Western  DiAdsion, 
J.  W.  McKericher,  Secretary. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  STATE  OF  INDIANA  DEPARTMENT  OF 
GEOLOGY,  EDWARD  BARRETT,  STATE  GEOLOGIST. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  PORTER  COUNTY, 

INDIANA. 


BY 


T.  M.  BUSHNELL,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

In  Charge,  and  WENDELL  BARRETT,  of  the  Indiana 

Department  of  Geology. 


W.  E.  McLENDON,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 


[Adyance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1916.] 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

1918 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 
Wasldngion,  D.  C,  December  2Ji.,  1917. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  report 
and  map  covering  the  survey  of  Porter  County,  Ind.,  and  to  request 
that  they  be  pubhshed  as  advance  sheets  of  the  field  operations  of 
the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1916,  as  authorized  by  law. 

The  selection  of  this  area  was  made  after  conference  with  the 
State  officials  cooperating  with  the  Bureau  in  the  work  of  surveying 
and  classifying  the  soils  of  Indiana. 
Respectfully, 


Hon.  D.  F.  Houston, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


Milton  Whitney, 

CM  ej  of  Bureau. 


CONTENTS. 


Soil   Survey  of  Porter  County,  Indiana.     By  T.  M.  Bushnell,  of  the 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In  Charge,  and  Wendell  Barrett, 

of  THE  Indiana  Department  of  Geology 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate '9 

Agriculture 10 

Soils 17 

Miami  fine  sandy  loam 20 

Miami  loam 21 

Miami  silt  loam 22 

Crosby  silt  loam 24 

Carrington  silt  loam 25 

Clyde  silty  clay  loam 26 

Waukesha  fine  sandy  loam 27 

Waukesha  loam 27 

Waukesha  silt  loam 28 

Plainfield  fine  sand 29 

Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam 30 

Plainfield  loam 31 

Lucas  loam 32 

Lucas  silt  loam 33 

Maumee  loamy  fine  sand 34 

Maumee  fine  sandy  loam 35 

Maumee  loam . ., 35 

Maumee  silty  clay  loam 36 

Homer  silt  loam 37 

Kewton  fine  sandy  loam 38 

Newton  loam 39 

Newton  silt  loam 40 

Griffin  silt  loam 41 

Muck 42 

Swamp 43 

Dunesand 44 

Summary 44 

3 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


FIGURE. 

Page. 
Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Porter  County  area,  Indiana 5 


Soil  map,  Porter  County  sheet,  Indiana. 
4 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  PORTER  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 

By.  T.  M.  BUSHNELL,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In  Charge,  and 
WENDELL  BARRETT,  of  the  Indiana  Department  of  Geology. — Area  In- 
spected by  W.  E.  McLENDON. 


DESCRIPTION    OF   THE    AREA. 

Porter  County,  Ind.,  is  located  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the 
State,  about  40  miles  from  Chicago.  It  is  bounded  on  the  west  by 
Lake  County,  on  the  south  by  Jasper  County,  from  which  it  is  sepa- 
rated by  the  Kankakee  River,  on  the  east  by  Laporte  County,  and 
on  the  north  by  Lake  Mchigan. 

The  county  has  an  area  of  415  square  miles,  or  265,600  acres.  It 
is  roughly  rectangular  in  shape,  with  a  uniform  width  east  and  west 
of  15  miles  and  a  maximum  length  of  about  34  miles,  the  northern 
and  southern  boundaries  being  irregular. 

Porter  County  has  three  main  physio- 
graphic divisions:  (1)  the  plain  of  glacial 
Lake  Chicago,  (2)  the  Valparaiso  morainic 
system  and  associated  till  plains,  and  t3) 
the  out  wash  plain  and  lake  plain  of  the 
Kankakee  Basin. 

The  glacial  Lake  Chicago  plain  adjoins 
Lake  Mchigan.  It  is  about  2  miles  wide  at 
the  eastern  boundary  of  the  county,  and  8  J 
miles  wide  where  it  crosses  the  western 
boundary.  Bays  of  this  lake  extended  up 
Salt  Creek  Valley  nearly  to  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Railroad,  and  eastward  along  the  Cal- 
umet River  to  Laporte  County. 

The  Valparaiso  morainic  system  traverses 
the  county  in  a  northeast  and  southwest  direction.  It  has  a  width 
of  14  miles  on  the  western  and  about  10  miles  on  the  eastern  county 
hne. 

The  remainder  of  the  county,  comprising  the  southeastern  part, 
belongs  to  the  Kankakee  Basin. 

In  general,  the  topography  of  the  Lake  Chicago  Plain  is  level,  but 
the  surface  configuration  is  locally  varied  by  wind  action.  Along 
the  lake  front  there  is  a  continuous  strip  of  sand  dunes,  which  in 


Fig.  1.— Sketch  map  showing  loca- 
tion of  the  Porter  County  area, 
Indiana. 


6  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1916. 

places  reach  a  height  of  nearly  200  feet.  In  the  eastern  end  of  this 
division  the  dune  belt  averages  one-half  mile  in  width,  and  has  few 
depressions,  but  is  backed  by  a  long,  continuous  strip  of  low  land. 
Adjoining  tliis  strip  the  lake  sands  have  covered  the  glacial  deposits 
for  a  considerable  distance.  North  and  west  of  Baileytown  the  dunes 
are  somewhat  lower,  and  the  belt  includes  marshy  depressions. 

The  topography  of  the  Valparaiso  Moraine  and  associated  ground 
moraine  is  extremely  "varied.  Much  of  it  is  fairly  level  or  gently 
undulating.  A  comparatively  rough  belt  extends  in  a  general  south- 
westerly direction  from  Burdick  through  Woodville  Junction  and 
south  of  SecUey.  It  is  most  rugged  southwest  of  Woodville  Junction, 
where  the  liill  slopes  are  often  quite  steep  and  gullied.  This  belt  is 
marked  by  a  general  rise  of  over  100  feet  from  the  low  land  north  of 
it  to  the  higher  land  to  the  south.  In  it  are  the  headwaters  of  many 
small  streams  flowing  northward.  There  are  some  extensions  of  this 
broken  belt  into  the  liigher  and  more  nearly  level  land,  notably  along 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  southeast  of  Woodville  Junction,  and 
along  the  Salt  Creek  Valley. 

The  undulating  till  plain  lying  southwest  of  Valparaiso  has  a 
general  slope  toward  the  south  and  southeast.  The  Kankakee  Plain 
is  very  flat  throughout. 

Level  bottom  lands  from  a  few  feet  to  over  one-fourth  mile  wide 
occur  along  the  streams  of  the  county.  Often  near  the  headwaters 
they  are  not  well  defined  and  not  strictly  alluvial,  but  along  the  large 
creeks  they  occupy  definite  valleys  lying  2  to  15  feet  below  the  gen- 
eral level  of  the  surrounding  country.  Through  the  morainic  belt 
numerous  depressions  are  found,  ranging  from  a  few  acres  to  several 
hunch'ed  acres  in  size..  More  than  a  dozen  small  lakes  occur  in  such 
depressions  in  this  county. 

The  general  elevation  of  the  flatter  lands  in  the  south  end  of  Porter 
County  is  about  652  to  700  feet  above  sea  level.  The  elevation  of  the 
Valparaiso  Moraine  is  more  than  800  feet  in  the  higher  part  north 
and  northeast  of  Valparaiso.  At  the  summit  in  section  30,  town- 
ship 36,  range  5,  the  elevation  is  888  feet.  Lake  IVIichigan  is  about 
585  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  belt  of  sand  dunes  along  the  Lake  Michigan  beach  probably 
averages  more  than  100  feet  in  height,  with  isolated  peaks  rising  100 
feet  higher.  West  of  Dune  Park  these  sand  hills  are  somewhat 
lower  and  broken  with  marshes.  Just  back  of  the  dune  belt  the 
continuous  marshy  strip  about  a  mile  wide  is  20  feet  above  lake  level. 
East  of  Baileytown  the  moraine  fronts  on  this  marshy  belt  and  rises 
40  feet  or  more  above  it.  The  beach  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  mo- 
rame  continues  southwestward  to  the  county  line.  At  tlie  junction 
with  Salt  Creek  the  Calumet  River  crosses  this  beach  and  enters  the 
low,  marshy  strip.     West  of  Baileytown  the  moraine  is  not  in  evi- 


SOIL    SURVEY    OF    POETEE    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  7 

dence,  but  the  beach  marks  a  rise  of  about  15  or  20  feet  to  a  flat  plain 
which  formerly  was  a  part  of  the  lake  bed.  The  deposits  on  this  plain 
consist  chiefly  of  clays,  although  west  of  Salt  Creek  they  are  veneered 
with  sands  as  far  south  as  the  Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  Railroad. 

The  next  higher  beach  Une  of  the  old  lake  evidently  existed  along 
the  sandy,  rugged  belt  running  northeast  from  Sedley.  However,  at 
the  foot  of  this  line  of  hills  the  action  of  glaciation,  erosion,  and  deposi- 
tion have  left  a  complicated  mixture  of  glacial  and  lake  materials 
with  a  rather  uneven  topography. 

Along  the  western  county  line  the  heavy  lake  deposits  extend 
almost  to  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway.  A  morainic  arm  protrudes 
northward  from  Wheeler  almost  to  the  Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  Rail- 
road. A  bay  of  the  glacial  lake  extends  southward  along  Salt  Creek 
Valley  almost  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  The  shore  line  then 
swangs  back  toward  Chesterton,  and  a  long,  narrow  bay  extends 
eastward  to  the  Laporte  County  line.  In  this  bay  there  are  many 
sandy  deposits,  evidently  deltas  from  streams  flowing  out  of  the 
moraines.  It  seems  probable  that  when  the  lake  stood  at  the  level 
of  this  highest  beach  its  waters  drained  through  the  great  gaps  in 
the  moraine  west  of  Valparaiso  or  along  where  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad  now  has  its  line  east  of  Woodville  Junction. 

While  the  rise  to  the  top  of  the  main  morainic  ridge  is  rapid  along 
this  northern  border  the  ridge  blends  into  the  outwash  plains  and 
Kankakee  marshes  along  the  southern  border  \dth  no  abrupt  topo- 
graphic change. 

The  crest  of  the  main  Valparaiso  Moraine  divides  the  drainage  of 
the  county  and  of  the  continent.  North  of  it  all  the  waters  find  their 
way  into  Lake  Michigan  through  the  Calumet  River,  which  crosses 
Porter  County  in  an  east-west  direction.  Numerous  small  streams 
head  in  the  moraine  and  flow  northward  or  northwestward  to  the 
Calumet  River.  The  principal  creeks  are  Coffee  and  Salt  Creeks. 
The  latter  is  peculiar  in  that  it  heads  in  the  outwash  plam  south  of 
the  moraine  and  after  flowing  a  short  distance  southward  turns  back 
through  the  gap  and  flows  northwestward  through  the  hills. 

Plans  have  been  made  for  dredging  an  outlet  for  the  Calumet  River 
through  the  dune  strip  near  Dune  Park.  In  that  way  the  drainage 
waters  would  reach  the  lake  in  less  than  IJ  miles,  instead  of  flowing 
to  the  natural  outlet  at  South  Chicago.  The  channel  would  be 
deepened  so  that  the  current  would  be  reversed,  and  the  waters  of 
Deep  River  in  Lake  County  would  flow  eastward  to  the  new  outlet. 
The  proposed  Lake  Erie  to  Chicago  ship  canal  is  routed  through  the 
Salt  Creek  gap  in  the  Valparaiso  Moraine,  which  is  only  80  feet  above 
lake  level. 

South  of  the  main  divide  the  smaller  streams,  most  of  which  have 
been  dredged,  flow  in  a  general  southerly  direction  until  they  approach 


8  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  191G. 

the  Kankakee  River,  where  they  turn  toward  the  west  and  flow  into 
that  stream,  which  is  a  tributary  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

Surface  drainage  is  quite  complete  through  the  morainic  belt, 
except  for  minor  depressions.  It  is  also  fairly  good  in  the  lake 
plains,  although  in  the  Kankakee  Basin  it  is  largely  effected  by 
dredged  ditches  and  smaller  laterals.  The  higher  outwash  soils  are 
well  drained  through  their  porous  substratum.  In  the  lake  plain  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  county  the  stream  channels  are  cut 
down  about  15  to  30  feet,  at  which  depth  there  are  evidences  of 
more  porous  strata.  However,  these  sand  beds  are  too  deep  to  afford 
underdrainage.  The  drainage  of  a  large  part  of  the  county  could  be 
improved  by  the  extension  of  the  ditches  and  the  use  of  tile. 

Porter  County  was  organized  in  1836.  The  early  settlers  were 
largely  from  other  parts  of  Indiana  and  the  eastern  States.  Eighty 
years  ago  much  of  the  land  was  occupied  by  Indians  of  the  Potta- 
watamie,  Chippewa,  Sac,  and  other  tribes.  In  later  years  there  was 
a  considerable  influx  of  settlers  of  Swedish,  Norwegian,  and  German 
descent.  Recently  farmers  from  Illinois  have  come  into  the  county 
and  settled  on  the  black  lands. 

The  census  of  1880  gives  the  urban  population  of  Porter  County  as 
4,461,  and  the  rural  population  as  12,766.  .In  1910  the  urban  popu- 
lation was  6,987  and  the  rural  population  13,553,  or  about  33  persons 
per  square  mile.^  Of  the  population  classed  as  rural  probably  3,000 
reside  in  small  towns.  The  most  densely  populated  districts  are 
found  around  the  old  settlements  such  as  Valparaiso,  Chesterton, 
and  Hebron.  The  population  of  the  Kankakee  region,  which  has 
more  recently  been  reclaimed,  is  relatively  sparse.  There  are  very 
few  houses  north  of  the  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend  traction 
hue,  along  Lake  Michigan. 

Valparaiso,  the  county  seat,  has  a  population  of  6,987,  according 
to  the  1910  census.  It  was  established  before  Chicago,  and  is  a  weU- 
improved,  prosperous  town.  Valparaiso  University  is  located  here. 
Chesterton,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  is  a  prosperous  town 
of  about  1,400.  In  Porter,  an  adjoining  town,  there  are  several 
factories.  Hebron  has  a  population  of  about  850.  Hebron  and 
Kouts  are  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county.  Wheeler,  McCool, 
Crocker,  Burdick,  Boone  Grove,  and  Maiden  are  small  railroad  towns. 

Porter  County  is  traversed  in  a  general  cast  and  west  direction  by 
10  main-Hue  raih-oads  and  several  branch  railroad  lines  and  traction 
lines.  From  north  to  south  these  are  the  branch  hne  of  the  Chicago 
&  Indiana  Southern  Raih'oad  to  Dune  Park,  the  main  double-track 
line  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  the  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  & 
South  Bend  Electric  line,  the  double-track  main  Une  of  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad,  the  Wabash  main  line,  the  Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern 


'  The  census  classes  only  the  population  of  towns  of  over  2,500  as  urban. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   POBTER  COUNTY,   INDIANA.  9 

Railway  (Cliicago  outer  belt  line),  the  Michigan  Central  double-track 
main  line,  the  Gary  &  Interurban  Traction  Une,  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  double-track  main  hue  (Fort  Wayne  route),  the  New  York, 
Cliicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  main  hne,  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad, 
the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  of  Indiana,  the  Chicago  &  Erie  Railroad 
(double  track),  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  (Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati, 
Chicago  &  St.  Louis),  and  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  lUinois  Railroad. 
Branches  of  the  Gary  &  Interurban  Traction  hne  between  Chesterton 
and  Valparaiso  afford  the  only  north  and  south  rail  transportation  in 
the  county.  An  auto-bus  line  has  been  established  between  Val- 
paraiso and  Kouts.  The  Pere  Marquette  Raih-oad  enters  the  county 
from  the  northeast  and  runs  to  Chicago  over  the  Lake  Shore  hne 
from  Porter.  There  are  several  transfer  and  connecting  points 
Avithin  the  county. 

A  complete  system  of  limestone-surface  roads  radiates  from  Val- 
paraiso. Improved  roads  are  numerous  in  Portage,  Westchester, 
Union,  and  Boone  Townships.  The  southeastern  part  of  the  county 
is  less  well  supplied,  but  the  system  is  being  rapidly  extended  to  aU 
sections.  Some  of  the  roads  are  surfaced  with  gravel.  Over  sandy 
lands  the  roads  are  sometimes  improved  by  adding  clay,  and  in  clay 
areas  they  are  sometimes  surfaced  with  sand.  Other  roads  are  merely 
graded  and  surfaced  with  the  materials  at  hand.  Most  of  the  roads 
foUow  land  hnes,  although  there  are  a  number  of  diagonal,  short-cut 
roads.  The  Lincoln  Highway  passes  through  Valparaiso.  The  only 
good  road  to  the  Lake  Michigan  beach  is  north  of  Chesterton  at 
Waverly  Beach.  Indistinct  trails  cross  the  sand  dunes  at  several 
places. 

Rural  mail  dehvery  and  telephone  lines  reach  all  parts  of  the 
county. 

Valparaiso,  Chesterton,  Kouts,  Hebron,  Maiden,  Wheeler,  and 
other  towns  are  markets  for  the  agricultural  products  grown  in  their 
vicinities.  Prices  are  governed  by  the  market  in  Chicago.  Large 
quantities  of  dairy  products  are  shipped  to  Chicago  from  this  county. 

CLIMATE. 

There  is  no  Weather  Bureau  station  in  Porter  County,  but  the 
records  of  the  station  at  Hammond,  Lake  County,  are  fairly  repre- 
sentative of  local  chmatic  conditions.  The  mean  annual  tempera- 
ture is  49°  F.  The  summer  mean  temperature  is  about  71°  F.,  and 
the  winter  mean  about  25°  F.  Many  and  sudden  variations  in 
temperature  occur.  The  monthly  range  may  be  as  great  as  80°. 
The  highest  temperature  recorded  at  Hammond  is  104°  F.,  and  the 
lowest  —23°  F. 

The  rainfall  averages  about  31  inches  per  annum,  with  the  heaviest 
precipitation  in  the  spring  and  summer.  May  is  the  wettest  month. 
34365°— 18 2 


10 


FIELD    OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1916. 


There  is  considerable  variation  in  the  monthly  rainfall  from  year  to 
year,  which  has  more  or  less  effect  on  crop  yields.  The  snowfall 
averages  nearly  42  inches  annually.    It  is  heaviest  in  February. 

There  is  an  average  growing  season  of  173  days.  The  average 
date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring  is  April  27,  and  of  the  first 
in  the  fall,  October  17.  The  latest  date  of  kilUng  frost  recorded  is 
May  26,  and  the  earhest,  September  19. 

The  following  table  is  compiled  from  the  records  of  the  Weather 
Bureau  station  at  Hammond: 

Normal  monthly,  seasonal,  and  annual  temperature  and  predpitation  at  Hammond,  Lake 

County. 


Temperature. 

Precipitation. 

Month. 

Mean. 

Absolute 
maxi- 
mum. 

Absolute 
mini- 
mum. 

Mean. 

Total 
amoimt 
for  the 
driest 
year 
(1899). 

Total 
amount 

for  the 

wettest 

year 

(1892). 

Snow, 
average 
depth. 

December 

op 

26.9 
23.7 
23.2 

'F. 
60 
67 
63 

'F. 
-17 
-20 
-23 

Incites. 
2.20 
2.24 
2.29 

Incites. 

1.51 

.55 

.71 

Inches. 
3.97 
1.07 
1.83 

Inches. 
7.6 

January 

10.4 

February 

15.0 

Winter 

24.6 

67 

-23 

6.73 

2.77 

6.87 

33.0 

March 

37.1 
47.5 
58.1 

82 
.88 
98 

0 
12 

27 

2.54 
2,83 
4.04 

1.09 
.13 

4.07 

2.31 

4.60 
8.59 

4.4 

April          .  . 

1.0 

May 

T. 

Spring 

47.6 

98 

0 

9.41 

5.29 

15.50 

5.4 

Jime 

6S.2 
73.1 
71.5 

99 
104 
102 

36 
39 
43 

3.10 
2.77 
2.25 

1.36 
3.15 
1.07 

9.93 
2.21 

.88 

0 

July 

0 

August 

0 

70.9 

104 

36 

8.12 

5.56 

13.02 

0 

September 

65.6 
53.8 
39.2 

102 
89 

77 

29 
19 

1 

2.84 
1.81 
2.31 

2.99 
1.25 
2.50 

2.52 
2.64 
2.80 

0 

October 

.1 

November 

3.1 

Fall 

52.9 

102 

1 

6.96 

6.74 

7.96 

3.2 

Year    

49.0 

104 

-23 

31.22 

20.38 

43.35 

41.6 

AGRICULTURE. 

The  first  agriculture  of  this  region  consisted  of  the  growing  of 
maize  by  the  Indians.  The  earliest  white  settlors  were  fur  traders. 
The  first  settlement  of  whites  in  the  area  now  embraced  in  Porter 
County  was  made  at  Baileytown  in  1822.  A  settlement  was  made 
southeast  of  Chesterton  in  1833,  and  this  became  an  important 
stopping  place  on  a  stage  Une  to  Chicago. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTEE  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


11 


The  original  land  survey  was  made  in  1830-1831.  Settlers  gradu- 
ally drifted  in  from  the  east,  and  the  country  passed  through  the 
usual  pioneer  development.  A  gradually  increasing  acreage  was 
cleared  and  cultivated.  Wheat  was  grown  and  ground  at  small 
mills  established  on  the  creeks,  and  flour  practically  displaced  corn 
meal  as  the  staple  food.  At  first  flax  was  cultivated,  but  later  sheep 
were  introduced  and  wool  became  the  chief  source  of  material  for 
clothing.  Cattle  were  raised  in  increasing  numbers  on  the  prairies 
and  marsh  land.  There  was  the  usual  tendency  to  occupy  first  the 
lighter  and  the  forested  soils,  because  they  w^ere  easier  to  handle 
with  the  primitive  implements  employed  than  the  heavier  soils  and 
prairie  lands,  and  in  addition  the  timbered  areas  furnished  game, 
firewood,  and  building  material. 

In  1850  the  Michigan  Central  and  the  Lake  Shore  Railroads  were 
extended  through  Porter  County  to  Chicago.  Tlie  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  was  built  in  1858  and  was  soon  followed  by  other  lines  to 
Chicago. 

With  the  advent  of  the  railroads  settlement  became  more  rapid  and 
all  the  land  was  soon  homesteaded.  The  use  of  binders  and  other  im- 
proved farm  machinery  became  general  in  the  seventies,  and  this  led 
to  a  great  increase  in  the  production  of  oats  and  wheat,  although  corn 
has  always  bren  the  leading  cultivated  crop  of  the  county.  In  the 
marsh  lands  the  cutting  of  wild  hay  and  the  grazing  of  cattle  were  the 
leading  and  practically  the  only  industries  up  to  15  or  20  years  ago. 
The  acreage  devoted  to  marsh  hay  steadily  increased  up  to  1890,  but 
by  1900  it  was  greatly  reduced,  cultivated  grasses,  consisting  of 
timothy  or  timothy  and  clover  mixed,  displacing  the  marsh  grasses 
in  the  cropping  system. 

The  following  table,  compiled  from  the  census  reports  for  1880  to 

1910,  inclusive,  indicates  the  general  trend  in  the  production  of  the 

chief  crops : 

Production  of  principal  crops. 


Crop. 


18S0 


1900 


1910 


Com 

Oats 

Wheat 

Rye 

Barley , 

Buckwheat. 
Potatoes 


Acres. 

33,650 

13, 450 

13, 991 

1,213 

63 

303 


Hay  and  forage. 


27, 136 


Bushels. 

838,331 

412,625 

290,858 

14, 828 

1,347 

2,519 

180,723 

Tons. 

37,905 


Acres. 
28, 224 
20,620 
10,630 
2,389 
37 
230 
2,064 

51,519 


Bushels. 
820,088 
700,038 
156, 237 
36,262 
759 
3,037 
173,354 
Tom. 
66,305 


Acres. 

28, 760 

24,865 

5,666 

2,751 

25 

213 

1,652 

41,177 


Bushels. 

1,333,500 

798,450 

32, 950 

39,520 

420 

2,270 

110,750 

Tom. 

55, 724 


Acres. 

45, 899 

26,910 

10,694 

3,316 

10 

312 

2,217 

42,048 


Bushels. 

1,675,972 

976,695 

232, 702 

51,616 

168 

5,142 

219,340 

Tom. 

52,717 


12 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE  BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1916. 


In  addition  to  the  area  in  potatoes  and  a  small  acreage  in  sweet 
potatoes,  the  census  of  1910  reports  a  total  of  558  -acres  in  vegetables. 
A  total  of  42,848  apple  trees,  19,382  peach  trees,  and  15,493  grape- 
vines is  reported,  with  a  small  acreage  in  berries,  chiefly  strawberries. 
There  are  several  thrifty  pear  orchards  in  the  county.  A  number  of 
special  crops  are  grown  in  a  small  way. 

The  following  table  indicates  the  status  of  the  live-stock  industry 
as  reported  in  1910: 

Domestic  animals,  Porter  County,  1910  census. 


Animals  sold  or  slaughtered: 

Calves,  sold  or  slaughtered 

other  cattle,  sold  or  slaughtered 

Horses  and  mules,  sold 

Swine,  sold  or  slaughtered 

Sheep  and  goats,  sold  or  slaughtered 


7,201 
4,254 
799 
17, 886 
2,346 


Number  on  farms  and  ranches 

Milch  cows 

All  other  cattle 

Horses 

Hogs 

Sheep 


11,981 
9,960 
8,214 

17,216 
7,781 


The  production  of  cereals  combined  with  dairying  and  stock  raising 
is  the  dominant  type  of  agriculture  in  Porter  County.  Corn  is  the 
most  important  crop.  It  is  grown  as  a  cash  crop  on  many  farms, 
especially  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  and  furnishes  the 
bulk  of  both  rough  and  grain  feed  on  many  stock  and  dairy  farms. 
Timothy  hay  is  fed  to  work  horses  and  to  some  extent  to  cattle  on 
the  farms.  Some  hay  is  sold  and  finds  a  ready  market  both  in  local 
towns  and  in  Chicago.  Oats  constitute  an  important.horse  feed,  and 
a  part  of  the  crop  is  sold.  The  straw  is  largely  consumed  by  stock 
or  used  for  bedding.  Wheat  is  almost  strictly  a  cash  crop.  No 
other  crops  compare  in  importance  with  com,  hay,  oats,  and  wheat. 

The  Indiana  Bureau  of  Statistics  in  1913  reports  that  among  the 
counties  of  the  State,  Porter  County  ranks  third  in  acreage  and  yield 
of  timothy,  sixth  in  acreage  of  marsh  hay,  ninth  in  acreage  of  pota- 
toes, and  eighth  in  acreage  of  buckwheat. 

Dairying  developed  in  this  section  under  the  stimulus  of  the 
Chicago  market,  so  that  the  counties  of  Porter  and  Lake  hold  almost 
equal  rank  as  leaders  in  this  industry  among  Indiana  counties. 
Although  Porter  was  sixth  in  the  number  of  cows  milked,  it  was 
third  in  gallons  of  milk  produced  in  1913.  The  dairying  consists 
almost  entirely  of  the  production  of  whole  milk  for  the  retail  trade. 
While  over  4,600,000  gallons  of  milk  were  produced  in  1913,  only 
21,671  gallons  of  cream  were  sold,  and  227,821  pounds  of  butter 
made.  The  1914  figures  showed  a  decided  increase  in  the  produc- 
tion of  cream  and  butter.  Porter  and  Lake  Counties  lead  the  State 
in  the  number  of  silos.  Porter  County  now  has  an  average  of  ono 
to  every  2.7  farms,  and  is  building  silos  at  the  rate  of  about  100 
per  year. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OP   PORTER   COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


13 


An  active  cow-testing  association  is  maintained,  in  which  the 
average  production  per  cow  per  year  in  1915  was  7,366  pounds  of  milk, 
containing  283  pounds  of  butter  fat.  These  figures  show  an  increase 
over  the  results  of  the  first  year's  work  of  the  association  and  equal 
the  best  records  made  by  any  such  association  in  Indiana.  Dairies 
belonging  to  the  Porter  County  association  are  located  almost  entirely 
north  and  west  of  Valparaiso.  Other  dairy  herds  are  found  south- 
west of  Valparaiso,  but  few  are  located  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  county. 

Porter  County  ranked  fifth  in  the  State  with  a  total  of  18,577 
cattle  of  aU  kinds  in  1914.  There  are  a  few  breeding  herds  of  the 
beef  type,  which,  like  the  dairy  herds,  are  headed  by  purebred  bulls. 
Feeders  are  obtained  from  these  herds,  from  the  steer  calves  of  the 
dairy  herds,  and  from  the  feeder  market  in  Chicago.  The  fattening 
stock  is  grazed  largely  on  marshy  pasture  lands  and  finished  with 
hay,  ensilage,  and  corn.  The  1910  census  reports  an  expenditure  of 
$84,599  for  feed  on  809  farms  in  1909,  but  it  is  probable  that  more 
of  this  was  used  for  stimulating  milk  production  than  for  fattening 
stock. 

The  hog-raising  industry  is  well  distributed  over  the  county,  but 
is  most  important  where  corn  is  plentiful  and  beef  cattle  are  kept. 
The  hogs  are  a  source  of  meat  on  the  farms,  and  in  some  cases  the 
chief  source  of  income. 

Several  thousand  sheep  are  handled  each  year  in  Porter  County, 
but  relatively  few  of  them  are  raised  here.  Feeders  are  brought  in 
to  fatten  on  stubble  land  and  other  pastures.  They  are  given  little 
additional  grain  feed  and  are  returned  to  the  Chicago  market. 

Although  a  source  of  some  income,  poultry  production  usually  is 
only  incidental  to  other  farm  operations.  Most  of  the  feed  is  gleaned 
from  the  waste  in  grain  fields  and  around  the  granaries.  There  are 
very  few  poultry  fanciers  or  egg  producers  in  the  county. 

There  is  an  average  of  two  teams  of  horses  or  mules  of  the  ordinary 
work  type  per  farm  in  Porter  County. 

The  relative  value  of  farm  products,  as  reported  in  the  1910  census, 
is  given  in  the  following  table:  -r. 

Value  offarra  products,  arranged  by  classes. 


Cereals 

other  grains  and  seeds 

Hay  and  forage 

Vegetables 

Fruits  and  nuts 

All  other  crops 


$1,491,867 
1,523 
473, 420 
116,019 
56,065 
56, 361 


Live  stock  and  products: 

Animals  sold  and  slughtered 

Dairy  products,  excluding  home 

use 

Poultry  and  eggs 

Wool,  mohair,  and  goat  hair 

Total  value 


f 576, 935 

527,133 

190,196 

7,209 


13,496,728 


14  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

The  topogiujihic  variations  in  Porter  County  influence  the  distri- 
bution of  crojis  to  some  extent.  The  broad  level  lands  are  usually 
devoted  to  large  fields  of  the  cereals.  Rougher  land  where  the  use  of 
improved  farm  machinery  is  diflicult  is  generally  used  as  pasture. 

Although  the  principal  crops  are  all  grown  on  most  of  the  soil  types 
of  Porter  County,  their  proportionate  acreage  and  yield  per  acre  vary 
with  the  different  types.  Generally  the  dark-colored  soils  are  used 
more  for  corn,  oats,  and  hay,  and  less  for  wheat  than  the  lighter  col- 
ored soils.  Tlie  great  need  of  the  light-colored  land  for  organic 
matter  and  nitrogen  is  often  an  important  factor  in  influencing  the 
farmers  to  undertake  dairying  or  stock  raising. 

The  crop  adaptation  of  different  classes  of  land  is  usually  well 
recognized  by  the  better  farmers,  although  other  considerations,  such 
as  the  benefits  of  crop  rotation  and  the  demands  of  the  market  often 
cause  similar  crops  to  be  grown  on  various  soils.  It  is  generally 
recognized  that  wheat  is  more  likely  to  winterkill  on  "clay"  lands 
than  on  sandier  soils,  and  that  this  crop  does  well  on  the  Maumee  fine 
sandy  loam,  but  not  so  well  on  heavy,  dark-colored  soils.  The  light- 
colored  upland  soils  with  heavy  clay  subsoUs  are  considered  too  cold 
and  wet  for  corn  in  rainy  seasons.  On  the  other  hand  the  corn  crop 
may  suffer  from  drought  in  dry  seasons  on  the  soils  underlain  by  loose, 
sandy  substrata.  The  soils  which  support  a  natural  growth  of  plants 
indicating  acidity  are  not  seeded  to  clover  without  special  prepara- 
tion. 

On  the  grain-producing  farms  an  effort  usually  is  made  to  fall  plow 
all  stubble  land  which  has  not  been  seeded  to  grass.  On  farms  with- 
out stock  the  winter  is  a  relatively  idle  period.  Early  in  the  spring 
all  the  land  which  was  not  fall  plowed  is  broken,  disked,  and  har- 
rowed. Oats  are  nearly  always  drilled  late  in  March  or  early  in 
April.     The  rate  of  seeding  is  about  10  or  12  pecks  per  acre. 

The  fall-plowed  land  usually  is  disked,  harrowed,  and  perhaps 
rolled  to  make  a  good  seed  bed  for  corn.  This  crop  is  put  in  after 
danger  of  frost  has  passed.  It  is  planted  in  check  rows  so  that  it  may 
be  cultivated  both  ways.  In  this  latitude  most  of  the  corn  is  of 
rather  small  early-maturing  yellow  varieties,  such  as  the  Wabash 
Yellow  Dent  and  Early  YeUow  Dent.  Usually  the  corn  is  given  from 
three  to  five  cultivations,  and  is  kept  quite  free  from  weeds.  How- 
ever, while  the  hay  is  being  cut  and  the  oats  harvested  the  corn  is 
likely  to  receive  insufficient  attention,  especially  in  more  poorly 
drained  fields  and  in  wet  seasons. 

The  hay  crop  consists  chiefly  of  timothy,  although  considerable 
timothy  and  clover,  wild  hay,  and  clover  alone  are  produced.  Where 
storage  space  is  available  it  is  filled  and  the  remainder  of  the  hay  is 
stacked  in  the  higher  part  of  the  fields,  or  near  the  barn.  Later  in 
the  year  a  part  of  it  may  be  baled  for  market. 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    PORTER   COUNTY,    INDIANA.  15 

Wheat  is  harvested  soon  after  the  hay-maldng  season.  Self  bind- 
ers are  used,  and  the  bundles  are  shocked  in  the  field;  very  few  farmers 
stack  them.  The  harvesting  of  oats  follows,  the  same  methods 
being  used  as  in  case  of  wheat.  Thrashing  usually  has  begun  by  the 
end  of  the  harvest  season.  A  number  of  farmers  join  in  a  thrasliing 
"ring"  to  use  one  machine  and  exchange  labor. 

Timothy  is  sometimes  thrashed  for  seed.  The  second  crop  of  red 
clover  is  also  cut  for  seed. 

Ensilage  corn  is  cut  shortly  before  the  first  heavy  frosts.  After 
that  some  corn,  especially  that  on  low  land,  is  cut  by  hand  or  with 
corn  binders,  and  shocked,  to  be  husked  or  shredded  later  in  the  sea- 
son. A  part  of  the  corn  is  left  standing  in  the  field  and  husked  from 
the  row  in  November  or  December. 

Stock  farming  involves  many  of  the  methods  used  on  the  grain 
farms,  with  the  additional  labor  of  handling  more  rough  feed,  such  as 
straw,  corn  stover,  shredded  corn,  and  ensilage,  and  of  spreading 
manure  from  the  feed  lots  over  the  fields.  It  also  necessitates  the 
use  of  more  land  for  pasture  and  hay  production.  Most  of  the  feed 
is  home  grown.  On  dairy  farms  there  is  the  labor  of  feeding  and 
milking  from  20  to  50  cows  all  the  year,  and  the  milk  is  hauled  to 
market  or  to  a  shipping  point  daily.  In  some  cases  the  milk  cans 
are  collected  by  auto  truck,  but  most  farmers  live  near  one  or 
another  of  the  numerous  railroads  and  attend  to  delivery  of  milk  and 
return  of  the  empty  cans.  The  growing  of  corn  for  ensilage  is  im- 
portant on  the  dairy  farms,  most  of  the  farmers  filling  two  or  three 
silos  each  year. 

The  1910  census  states  that  72  per  cent  of  the  farm  valuation  was 
in  the  land,  16.3  per  cent  in  buildings,  2.3  per  cent  in  implements,  and 
9.3  per  cent  in  domestic  animals.  The  average  value  of  all  property 
per  farm  is  given  as  $10,079. 

The  farm  dwellings  usually  are  well  constructed,  and  many  are 
thoroughly  modern  and  fitted  with  most  of  the  conveniences  of  urban 
dwellings.  Even  where  the  farmhouse  is  poor  the  barns  and  sheds 
usually  are  adequate  for  the  needs  of  the  farm.  The  dairy  barns 
especially  are  large  and  well  equipped  for  housing  and  feeding  the 
cows  and  handling  milk  and  manure.  Improved  farm  machinery, 
including  drills,  corn  planters,  binders,  manure  spreaders,  etc.,  is  in 
general  use.  Automobiles  for  business  and  pleasure  are  fairly  com- 
mon in  the  county.  A  large  number  of  steam  engines  and  gasoline 
tractors  are  used  in  the  county  for  thrashing,  cutting  ensilage,  shred- 
ding corn,  plowing,  sawing  wood,  and  grinding  feed. 

Some  of  the  more  common  rotations  used  in  Porter  County  are 
corn,  oats,  and  timothy;  corn,  wheat,  and  timothy;  corn,  oats,  wheat, 
and  clover.  On  dairy  and  stock  farms  the  rotations  may  be  varied 
by  using  the  land  as  pasture  for  several  years. 


16  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1916. 

As  Porter  County  has  long  been  a  dair}^  district,  the  farmers  have 
more  manure  available  than  is  usual  in  Indiana  counties.  This  sup- 
plies in  the  best  and  cheapest  form  organic  matter  and  nitrogen,  the 
elements  most  needed  on  the  light-colored  soils.  No  extensive  use 
of  commercial  fertilizer  has  ever  been  made.  In  1909  only  160  farms 
reported  its  use,  and  the  average  expenditure  per  farm  was  $36. 
There  was  a  slight  but  growbig  demand  for  potash  on  the  black  or 
mucky  lands  before  the  price  of  this  material  became  prohibitive. 
Complete  fertihzers  are  sometimes  drilled  in  with  the  com  or  wheat 
at  the  rate  of  75  to  200  pounds  per  acre,  with  fair  average  results. 
There  is  an  increasing  tendency  to  use  phosphatic  fertilizers,  such  as 
bone  meal  and  acid  phosphate,  for  com,  wheat,  and  oats,  particularly 
on  lands  which  also  need  Hme. 

In  recent  years  much  of  the  "sour"  land  east  of  Kouts  has  been 
improved  by  hming.  Lime  usually  is  applied  in  the  form  of  finely 
gromid  Hmestone,  at  the  rate  of  1  ton  to  4  tons  per  acre.  This  may 
be  obtained  at  a  cost  of  about  $1.25  per  ton,  mcluding  the  freight. 
In  some  cases  air-slaked  lime  has  been  used  with  good  results. 

Farm  labor  is  an  important  item  in  Porter  County.  In  1909  a 
total  of  1,013  farms  reported  a  total  expenditure  of  $234,189  for 
labor.  Good  farm  hands  are  difficult  to  obtain;  they  receive  $30  to 
$35  and  board  per  month.  Extra  help  is  paid  about  $1.25  to  $2 
per  day.  In  harvesting  seasons  the  practice  of  exchanging  labor  is 
general.     Most  of  the  laborers  are  Americans  and  are  efficient. 

The  average  size  of  farms  in  Porter  County  has  remained  about  the 
same  for  the  last  40  years.  In  the  1910  census  it  is  reported  as  125 
acres.  About  90  per  cent  of  the  area  of  the  county  is  reported  in 
farms,  and  of  the  farm  land  77.8  per  cent  is  classed  as  improved. 
The  farms  range  m  size  from  a  few  acres  to  over  5,000  acres.  Farms 
of  a  section  or  more  are  not  im common. 

The  1910  census  reports  69.6  per  cent  of  the  farms  operated  by  the 
owners,  which  is  a  larger  proportion  than  that  in  many  comities  in 
the  corn  belt.  However,  the  number  of  tenant  farms  has  gradually 
increased  durmg  the  last  30  years.  Farms  usually  are  rented  under 
the  share  system,  the  owner  receiving  two-fifths  to  one-half  the  crops. 
In  some  cases  he  pays  for  a  part  of  the  seed  and  fertilizer,  but  he 
seldom  has  an  interest  in  the  implements  and  farm  stock.  The 
tenant  owns  the  work  stock  and  tools,  produces  the  crops,  hauls 
them  to  market,  and  usually  furnishes  the  labor  for  repairs  about 
the  farm.  The  owner  usually  reserves  the  right  to  decide  what  crops 
shaU  be  growai,  and  it  is  generally  specified  that  no  roughage  shall 
be  removed  from  the  farm.  Sometimes  the  tenant  is  required  to  pay 
cash  rent  for  pasture  land. 

The  average  assessed  value  of  farm  land  in  Porter  County  is 
reported  in  the  1910  census  as  $58.09  an  acre.     Some  of  the  rougher 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  17 

and  marshy,  undeveloped  land  is  valued  at  less  than  S50  an  acre,  but 
the  majority  of  the  farmers  value  their  land,  with  improvements,  at 
$100  to  $150  an  acre,  and  some  farm  land  is  held  for  more  than  $200 
an  acre. 

SOILS. 

The  soil  materials  of  the  Porter  County,  Ind.,  area  were  accumu- 
lated by  various  glacial  processes.  As  shown  in  the  opening  chapter, 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  county  is  underlain  by  materials  ac- 
cumulated by  deposition  in  lakes,  the  southeastern  part  by  deposi- 
tion from  rmming  water  and  mcidental  standing  water  and  the 
central  part  by  deposition  from  glacial  ice.  In  the  northwestern 
and  southeastern  parts,  therefore,  the  material  consists  usually  of 
sandy  clays,  silts,  clays  and  sands,  while  across  the  central  part  of 
the  comity  it  consists  predominantly  of  bowlder  clays.  The  bed- 
rock consists  of  limestone,  but  it  is  so  deeply  buried  by  the  various 
deposits  just  mentioned  that  it  is  not  a  factor  in  the  determination 
of  the  character  of  the  soils  of  the  county.  The  material  from  which 
they  are  derived  consists  of  a  mixture  of  clay,  silt,  and  sand  presum- 
ably derived  from  the  same  or  similar  sources  as  the  gravel  and  bowl- 
ders occurring  with  them,  which  consist  of  granite  and  other  crystal- 
line rock  fragments,  shale,  sandstone,  and  Umestone.  It  is  therefore 
heterogeneous  in  its  mineralogical  composition  as  well  as  in  its 
physical  constitution.  It  is  from  tliis  material  that  the  soils  of  the 
county  have  been  developed  by  weathering  and  by  local  redeposition. 

The  soils  have  developed  m  a  humid  region  where  in  part  of  the 
area  the  natural  surface  drainage  is  good  and  in  part  it  is  deficient,  the 
former  condition  being  characteristic  of  a  large  part  of  the  central 
belt  of  ice-laid  material,  the  latter  of  a  considerable  part  of  the  smooth 
areas  in  the  northwestern  and  southeastern  parts  of  the  county.  The 
soils  of  the  whole  county,  therefore,  because  of  the  humid  conditions 
mider  which  they  have  developed,  are  leached  of  their  readily  soluble 
salts,  and  the  carbonates,  consistmg  of  the  limestone  fragments  in  the 
parent  material,  have  been  ehminated  to  a  depth  of  several  feet;  only 
in  a  few  cases  is  any  left  within  the  3-foot  profile  to  which  examination 
is  extended.  The  soils  on  the  rolling  lands  have  been  oxidized  and 
aerated  to  a  depth  of  several  feet  as  a  rule.  Those  with  light  texture 
or  underlain  at  relatively  shallow  depths  by  gravel  or  sand,  occurring 
within  the  area  of  flat  or  very  smooth  topography,  have  in  most  cases 
reached  the  same  stage  in  their  development. 

The  rest  of  the  soils  on  the  flat  land  areas  have  developed  under 
conditions  of  excessive  moisture.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  somewhat  less 
thoroughly  leached  of  their  lime  carbonates  and  are  imperfectly 
oxidized  and  aerated  in  their  subsoils,  the  extent  of  these  changes 
varying  in  the  various  types. 
34658°— 18 3 


18  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1016, 

The  soils  on  the  roUiiifi;  land  and  certain  areas  of  smooth  land  were 
well  enough  drained  and  well  enough  protected  from  amuial  fires  to 
permit  the  development  of  a  forest  vegetation.  This  in  turn  pro- 
moted the  formation  of  light-colored  soils.  They  are  usually  brown 
to  light  brown  or  gray  in  color  and  their  content  of  organic  matter  is 
low. 

The  soils  developed  under  conditions  of  excessive  moisture  or 
insufficient  subsoil  drainage  did  not  favor  the  development  of  a  forest 
vegetation.     Their  native  vegetation  therefore  consisted  of  grasses. 

Well-drained  soils  on  areas  of  flat  or  smooth  land  lying  adjacent  to 
or  surrounded  by  areas  of  wet  lands  were  influenced  in  the  native  vege- 
tation they  produced  by  the  latter,  possibly  because  of  the  frequent 
fires  on  them,  so  that  as  a  rule  they  produced  a  grass  vegetation  also. 
The  greater  part  of  the  flat  or  smooth  land  area,  therefore,  were  prai- 
ries in  their  native  state  and  because  of  their  grass  vegetation  they 
are  dark  in  color  and  contain  a  liigh  percentage  of  organic  matter. 

These  soils  are  prairie  soils,  however,  and  not  steppe  soils.  They 
are  treeless  because  of  excessive  moisture,  or  were  controlled  by 
neighboring  areas  of  that  kind,  and  not  because  of  deficient  moisture 
as  in  the  case  of  steppe  soils.  They  lack  the  high  content  of  soluble 
constituents  or  readily  decomposable  minerals  usually  present  in 
steppe  soils,  their  loose  powdery  structure,  their  thick  humus  horizon, 
and  their  black  color. 

The  soils  of  the  county  have  l^een  identified  as  members  of  23 
series  differing  from  each  other  in  source  of  material  and  character 
and  composition  of  the  soil  and  subsoil. 

The  Miami  series  embraces  the  weU-drained  timbered  lands,  having 
hght  grayish  brown  surface  soils  and  yellow  or  yellowish-brown  sub- 
soils with  little  or  no  mottling  and  rcstmg  upon  miweathered  cal- 
careous material  at  a  depth  of  2|  to  3  feet.  The  series  is  represented 
in  this  county  by  three  types,  the  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silt  loam. 

The  Crosby  series  differs  from  the  Miami  cliiefly  in  having  a  grayer 
surface  soil  and  a  white  or  mottled  light-gray  and  yellowish-brown, 
compact  clay  subsoil.  The  surface  is  flat  to  very  gently  undulating, 
and  the  natural  drainage  is  deficient.  Only  the  silt  loam  member  is 
recognized  in  Porter  County, 

The  surface  soils  of  the  Carrington  series  are  dark  brown,  and  the 
subsoils  are  brown  to  yellowish  brown,  resting  upon  miweathered, 
moderately  calcareous  till  at  2|  to  3  feet.  These  soils  have  a  nearly 
level  to  roUing  topography  and  are  naturally  well  drained.  They  are 
derived  from  ice-laid  deposits,  and  the  areas  have  existed  under 
prairie  conditions,  where  large  quantities  of  organic  matter  accumu- 
lated in  the  soil.  The  Carrington  silt  loam  is  mapped  and  is  one  of 
the  important  types  of  the  county. 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    PORTER    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  19 

The  Clyde  series  is  represented  in  the  poorly  drained  depressions 
within  areas  of  the  Carrington,  Miami,  and  Crosby  soils,  where  there 
has  bee:  a  i  accumulation  of  organic  matter  in  the  surface  soil.  The 
soil  is  black  to  very  dark  gray  to  a  depth  of  8  to  12  inches.  The  sub- 
soil is  mottled  gray,  drab,  brown,  and  yeUow,  with  gray  as  the  domi- 
nant color.  The  substratum  is  calcareous  till,  and  the  lower  subsoil 
may  be  moderately  calcareous.  Only  one  type,  the  silty  clay  loam, 
is  mapped  hi  Porter  County. 

The  Waukesha  soils  are  dark  brown  to  black  to  a  depth  of  10  or  15 
mches,  with  brown  or  yellowish-brown  subsoils,  which  rest  at  a  depth 
of  2  to  3  feet  upon  a  porous  substratum  consistmg  of  stratified  beds  of 
sand  and  gravel.  The  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silt  loam  types  of 
this  series  are  encomitered  in  Porter  County. 

The  Plainfield  series  includes  hght  grayish  brown  soils  with  light 
yellowish  brown  subsoils  and  a  sandy  substratum  which  affords  good 
to  excessive  underdrainage.  The  Plainfield  fuie  sand,  fuie  sandy 
loam,  and  loam  are  recognized  in  this  county. 

The  Lucas  series  resembles  the  Plamfield  somewhat  in  color  of  soil 
and  subsoil.  It  differs  from  that  series  in  having  a  heavy  clay  sub- 
stratum, so  that  the  soil  is  not  droughty.  Faint  gray  motthngs 
occur  in  the  subsoil.  The  loam  and  silt  loam  members  of  this  series 
are  mapped  in  Porter  County. 

The  Maumee  series  is  characterized  by  black  soils  and  a  gray 
subsoil  which,  with  depth,  becomes  slightly  mottled  with  brown  and 
yellow,  or  stained  mth  bog  iron  ore.  The  substratum  consists  of 
stratified  material  which  may  be  moderately  calcareous.  The 
Maumee  loamy  fine  sand,  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silty  clay 
loam  are  found  in  Porter  County. 

The  Homer  series  includes  forested  soils  similar  to  the  Crosby 
soils  in  appearance,  but  differing  from  them  in  being  derived  from 
lake  deposits  and  in  havmg  less  lime  in  the  subsoil.  The  soU  is 
light  gray,  the  subsurface  is  almost  white,  and  the  subsoil  consists 
of  mottled  light-gray  and  yellow  or  brown,  heavy,  plastic  clay. 
This  series  is  represented  by  a  single  type,  the  silt  loam. 

The  Newton  soUs  are  dark  brown.  The  subsoils  are  yellowish 
brown,  more  or  less  mottled  with  gray,  and  are  underlain  by  grayish 
stratified  sand,  silts,  and  clays  which  carry  some  hmestone  material. 
The  Newton  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silt  loam  are  mapped. 

The  recent  alluvium  of  the  overflowed  stream  bottoms  is  classed 
with  the  Griffin  series.  The  surface  sod  is  brown,  and  the  subsoil 
brown  mottled  with  drab  and  gray.  The  silt  loam  is  the  only 
member  of  this  series  encountered  in  Porter  County, 


20 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1916. 


The  following  table  gives  the  name  and  actual  and  relative  extent 
of  each  soil  mapped  in  the  county: 

Areas  of  different  soils. 


Soil. 


Miami  silt  loam 

Hilly  phase 

Miami  loam 

Muck 

Carrington  silt  loam 

Light  phase 

Plainfleld  fine  sand 

Rolling  phase 

Maumeesilty  clay  loam... 

Maiimee  loam 

Maumce  fine  sandy  loam. 
Miami  line  sandy  loam. . . 

Clyde  silty  clay  loam 

Waukesha  silt  loam 

•Plainfleld  fine  sandy  loam 
Homer  silt  loam 


Acres. 


Per 

CCDt. 


16.4 

7.5 
6.8 

6.4 


5.4 
5.0 
4.3 
4.0 
3.6 
3.5 
3.5 
3.4 


Soil. 


Maumee  loamy  fine  sand . . 

Griflln  sili  loam 

Light  phase 

Crosby  silt  loam 

Newton  silt  loam 

Dunesand 

Newton  loam 

Newton  fine  sandy  loam. . . 

Swamp 

Waukesha  loam 

Plainfield  loam 

Lucas  loam 

Lucas  silt  loam 

Waukesha  fine  sandy  loam 

Total 


7,360 

5.632 
832 
5,824 
5.632 
5,376 
5,312 
5,120 
4,736 
4,480 
4,288 
4,224 
3,008 
2,432 


Per 

cent. 


2.8 

2.4 

2.2 
2.1 
2.0 
2.0 
L9 
L8 
L7 
L6 
1.6 
1.1 
.9 


MIAMI    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  Miami  fine  sandy  loam,  to  a  depth  of  about  7  inches, 
consists  of  light  grayish  brown  loamy  fine  sand  to  fine  sandy  loam, 
and  from  7  to  12  inches  a  light  yellowish  brown  fine  sandy  loam. 
Below  the  average  depth  of  12  inches  the  material  is  a  compact 
fine  sandy  loam  to  loam  or  sandy  clay  loam,  and  the  lower  subsoil 
or  substratum  ma}^  grade  into  moderately  heavy  till  or  into  sandy 
strata.  Gravel  and  bowlders  are  scattered  over  the  surface  and 
embedded  in  the  soil.  There  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  much 
of  this  t^'pe  represents  the  remains  of  an  ancient  beach  line  of  Lake 
Michigan.  There  are  local  areas,  as  south  of  Sedley,  where  the 
sandy  surface  material  extends  to  a  depth  of  3  feet  or  more,  and  is 
practically  stone  free.  However,  it  has  been  so  modified  by  erosion 
and  mixed  with  till,  which  often  appears  at  the  surface  on  knolls 
and  hillsides,  that  it  is  classed  as  a  glacial  soil. 

This  type  occupies  a  more  or  less  continuous  belt  across  the  county 
through  Burdick  and  Sedley,  and  extends  up  Salt  Creek  valley  to 
Valparaiso   and  along  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  to  Coburg. 

The  topography  ranges  from  steep  gullied  as  on  hillsides  to  fairly 
level  areas  as  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  moraine.  A  few  kameli]je 
and  eskerlike  bodies  are  included  with  the  type. 

Both  surface  drainage  and  underdrainage  are  good.  Some  steep 
areas  are  subject  to  erosion. 

This  type  is  not  important  in  the  general  agriculture  of  Porter 
County,  and  has  not  been  hirgcly  cultivated,  because  of  its  unfav- 


SOIL   SURVF.Y    OF    PORTER    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  21 

orable  topography  and  rather  low  natural  productiveness.  A  part 
of  it  is  forested,  mainly  with  oak  and  hickory.  The  type  has  a 
large  use  as  pasture  for  dairy  cattle,  especially  in  the  rougher  areas. 
Corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  hay  are  grown  on  the  smoother  land.  Some 
farmers  consider  this  land  better  for  corn  in  wet  seasons  than  the 
Miami  silt  loam,  and  wheat  on  this  sandy  land  will  survive  a  winter 
season  that  would  greatly  injure,  if  not  destro}^,  the  crop  on  the 
"clay  lands."  The  type  stands  drought  well  where  carefully  tilled. 
The  average  yields  on  the  portion  of  the  type  suitable  for  cultiva- 
tion are  about  30  bushels  of  corn,  30  bushels  of  oats,  1  ton  of  hay, 
and  18  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre. 

Under  the  system  of  farming  usually  followed  on  the  Miami  fine 
sandy  loam  corn,  corn  ensilage,  and  hay  are  grown  to  feed  dairy 
cows,  which  graze  the  hill  pastures,  while  oats  and  wheat  afford  some 
cash  returns.  The  crops  usually  are  planned  to  protect  the  land 
from  washing  as  much  as  possible.  Practically  the  only  fertilizer 
used  is  manure. 

Well-improved  land  of  this  type  is  held  for  about  $100  an  acre. 

In  some  cases  greater  profits  might  be  had  from  this  soil  by  grow- 
ing truck  crops.  It  is  considered  almost  necessary  to  keep  dairy 
cattle  for  the  manure  so  greatly  needed  on  this  soil,  but  its  pro- 
ductiveness may  be  maintained  by  growing  cowpeas  or  soy  beans, 
which  not  only  add  nitrogen  and  organic  matter  to  the  soil  but  make 
good  hay  and  profitable  seed  crops.  By  liming  and  inoculation  it  is 
possible  to  grow  alfalfa  on  the  type. 

MIAMI   LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Miami  loam  consists  of  a  light-brown  or  brownish- 
gray  fine-textured  loam  about  10  inches  deep.  The  subsoil  is  a 
light-yellow  or  yellowish-brown  loam  to  silt  loam,  becoming  heavier 
and  more  compact  with  depth.  The  lower  part  of  the  soil  section 
is  sometimes  lighter  textured,  and  more  open.  Bowlders  and  gravel 
may  occur  on  the  surface  and  throughout  the  soil  section  and  sub- 
stratum. To  a  depth  of  3  feet  or  more  there  is  not  sufficient  lime 
in  the  soil  to  cause  it  to  effervesce  with  acid.  In  Porter  County  the 
Miami  loam  is  made  to  include  that  land  intermediate  between  the 
silt  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam,  and  shows  textural  variations  in  both 
the  soil  and  subsoil. 

This  type  occurs  chiefly  along  the  borders  of  the  central  moraine 
occupied  by  the  Miami  silt  loam.  Little  of  it  is  found  southwest  of 
Valparaiso,  Vhough  several  areas  are  mapped  along  Wolf  Creek  Ditch. 
There  are  several  areas  in  the  vicinity  of  Burdick. 

In  topography  the  Miami  loam  resembles  the  silt  loam,  but  it  is 
probably  more  rolling,  is  dissected  by  draws,  and  is  less  favorable 
for  farming.  It  often  occupies  the  slopes  of  valleys  and  knolls  or 
ridges. 


22  FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  191(j. 

The  surface  drainage  is  good,  and  underdrainage  is  better  than  in 
most  of  the  silt  loam  type.     Some  fields  are  subject  to  erosion. 

This  type  is  not  nearly  so  c  xtensive  as  the  Miami  silt  loam.  About 
75  per  cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation  and  the  remamder  is  in  pasture 
or  woodlots.  As  on  the  silt  loam  type,  the  farming  consists  of  dairy- 
ing and  growing  corn,  oats,  hay,  and  wheat.  Crop  yields  almost  equal 
those  on  the  silt  loam. 

The  Miami  loam  is  handled  in  much  the  same  way  as  the  Miami 
silt  loam.  Probably  more  of  it  is  in  pasture.  It  is  somewhat  easier 
to  cultivate  and  keep  in  good  tilth,  owing  to  the  more  loamy  char- 
acter of  the  surface  soil,  but  the  topography  often  necessitates  small 
or  irregular  fields,  and  care  to  prevent  erosion.  Excepting  barnyard 
manure,  little  fertilizer  is  used. 

The  average  value  of  this  type  is  about  $100  an  acre. 

Like  the  other  light-colored  soils,  this  type  is  in  need  of  organic 
matter  and  nitrogen,  which  are  best  supphed  by  addmg  manure  and 
growing  the  legumes. 

MIAMI    SILT    LOAM. 

The  Miami  silt  loam  typically  is  a  light  grayish-yellow  or  brownish- 
gray,  smooth,  friable  silt  loam  to  an  average  depth  of  10  or  12  inches. 
This  is  underlain  by  light  yellowish  brown  or  buff  silt  loam  to  silty 
clay  loam,  which  is  slightly  friable,  but  becomes  somewhat  plastic 
at  about  22  inches.  The  lower  subsoil  is  a  somewhat  plastic,  mod- 
erately compact  silty  clay  loam,  becoming  heavier  and  more  brittle 
with  depth.  It  is  yellowish  brown  in  color,  and  sometimes  faintly 
mottled  with  yellow  and  gray.  Lime  can  not  be  detected  by  tests 
with  acid  within  2|  or  3  feet  of  the  surface,  but  is  usually  found  in 
the  lower  lying  material  and  throughout  the  substratum,  which  usu- 
ally is  a  heavy  tiU  extending  to  a  considerable  depth.  Some  bowl- 
ders and  small  stones  are  found  on  the  surface  and  m  the  soil  section. 

Some  variations  from  the  typical  occur  within  the  areas  of  this 
type.  On  the  morainic  ridge  northeast  of  Chesterton  there  is  a  ten- 
dency toward  the  mottlings  and  the  heavy  compact  subsoil  of  the 
adjoining  Crosby  silt  loam.  Where  the  Miami  silt  loam  is  intricately 
associated  with  the  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam  types,  some  shght 
textural  variations  occur  in  the  soil  and  subsoil.  In  the  large  areas 
along  the  Valparaiso-Hebron  road,  the  soil  is  comparatively  uniform 
in  texture.  In  a  virgin  state  the  type  has  a  dark-gray  surface  layer 
1  to  3  inches  thick,  representing  the  zone  of  leaf  mold  accumulation. 
The  surface  of  plowed  fields  when  wet  appears  dark  and  when  dry 
is  very  light. 

The  Miami  silt  loam  comprises  most  of  the  top  of  the  main  di- 
viding moraine  of  the  county.  .  One  large  area  extends  from  Val- 
paraiso to  Woodville  Junction,  and  another  from  near  Hays  School 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    PORTER    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  23 

to  the  Hurlburt  Ditch,  which  represents  the  natural  drainage  way 
that  doubtless  was  the  fire  guard  for  the  timber  againet  the  prairie 
fires.  Isolated  areas  occur  near  He])ron,  Boone  Grove,  and  Sedley, 
and  south  of  Burdick. 

In  general  the  topography  of  the  Miami  silt  loam  is  gently  undu- 
lating to  gently  rolling,  and  is  well  suited  to  farming.  Some  of  the 
type  is  quite  flat.  The  rougher  areas  of  this  soil  are  mapped  as  a 
hilly  phase. 

The  natural  surface  drainage  is  fair  to  good;  underdrainage  is 
poor,  owing  to  the  compact  nature  of  the  substratum.  In  many 
places  the  drainage  has  been  improved  by  ditching.  Tile  drains  are 
not  in  common  use,  as  they  do  not  seem  effective  in  withdrawing  the 
soil  moisture  from  the  dense  subsdil. 

The  Miami  silt  loam  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  important 
types  of  the  county.  Probably  90  per  cent  is  now  under  cultivation, 
and  some  of  the  land  has  been  used  more  than  80  years.  It  origi- 
nally supported  a  heavy  growth  of  white,  black,  and  red  oak,  hickory, 
walnut,  and  other  trees.  The  principal  crops  are  corn,  oats,  hay, 
and  wheat,  and  nearly  every  farm  maintains  a  dairy  herd.  Usually 
the  whole  milk  is  shipped  to  Chicago  markets.  Some  hogs  and  a 
few  beef  cattle  are  kept.  Rye,  buckwheat,  and  potatoes  are  crops 
of  minor  importance.  Corn  yields  30  to  40  bushels,  oats  25  to  35 
bushels,  hay  1|  tons,  and  wheat  about  18  bushels  per  acre.  On 
well-improved  land  in  good  seasons  these  yields  are  greatly  exceeded. 
Corn  is  likely  to  suffer  in  wet  seasons,  and  wheat  may  winterkill  in 
severe  winters. 

Farming  on  this  type  usually  is  designed  to  build  up  the  produc- 
tiveness of  the  soil  and  to  keep  it  in  good  physical  condition.  The 
rotations  generally  include  corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  clover  and  timothy. 
Either  the  wheat  or  oats  may  be  omitted,  and  if  a  good  stand  of 
clover  is  not  obtained  the  land  may  be  put  in  some  other  crop.  A 
part  of  the  corn  crop  is  used  for  ensilage,  which  constitutes  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  feed  for  dairy  cows  and  other  stock. 

Relatively  small  quantities  of  commercial  fertilizer  are  used  on 
this  land,  largely  because  there  is  so  much  manure  available.  It  is 
recognized  that  the  soil  is  primarily  in  need  of  organic  matter  and 
nitrogen.  Bone  meal  and  acid  phosphate  are  the  chief  fertilizers 
bought. 

The  average  value  of  farms  consisting  largely  of  the  Miami  silt 
loam  is  about  $140  an  acre.  Well-improved  farms  are  held  for  higher 
prices,  and  some  land  of  the  type  can  be  bought  for  less. 

As  this  soil  is  slightly  acid,  the  use  of  lime  is  beneficial,  especially 
where  clover  is  grown.     Surface  and  tile  drainage  should  be  extended 

Miami  silt  loam,  hilly  phase. — Tlie  hilly  phase  of  the  Miami  silt 
loam  is  almost  identical  with  the  main  type  in  the  soil  section  and 


24  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1916. 

substratum.  There  are  bowlders  or  gravel  on  tlie  surface  in  places. 
The  principal  areas  are  mapped  near  Beatrice,  Oster  School,  Hays 
School,  and  2  miles  east  of  Flint  Lake. 

The  topography  is  quite  steeply  rolling  to  rough  and  hilly,  so  that 
only  small  areas  are  suitable  for  cultivated  crops.  The  surface  drain- 
age is  good  to  excessive,  but  washing  is  only  sliglit  because  of  the 
coherent  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  protection  afforded  by  grasses  and 
timber.  The  phase  is  inextensive  in  Porter  County.  In  a  few  small 
fields  in  the  smoother  parts  corn,  wheat,  and  oats  are  grown.  Pos- 
sibly 20  per  cent  of  the  type  is  forested.  A  part  of  it  is  utilized  for 
hay  production  but  most  of  it  is  in  pasture.     Crop  yields  are  low. 

This  phase  is  valued  at  about  $75  an  acre.  Its  best  use  is  for 
hay  production  or  permanent  pasture. 

CROSBY    SILT    LOAM. 

The  Crosby  silt  loam  consists  of  a  light  grayish  brown,  friable  silt 
loam,  underlain  at  about  8  inches  by  a  friable  silt  loam  subsurface 
layer,  which  is  usually  light  gray  to  almost  white  in  color.  The 
subsoil  is  a  mottled  light-gray,  yellow,  and  brown,  heavy,  plastic 
clay.  The  surface  of  tliis  type  when  dry  is  very  light  colored. 
Sometimes  a  distinct  subsurface  layer  is  lacking,  but  the  subsoil 
is  always  mottled  light  gray,  and  is  more  compact  and  impervious 
than  the  corresponding  material  in  the  typical  Miami  silt  loam. 
Some  local  spots  are  included  where  the  texture  of  the  surface  soil 
is  lighter  than  a  silt  loam. 

The  largest  and  most  typical  areas  of  the  Crosby  silt  loam  are 
found  in  the  moraine  north  and  northeast  of  Chesterton.  Other 
areas  occur  in  slight  depressions  in  the  gently  undulating  land  east 
and  south  of  Flint  Lake,  where  there  are  also  areas  too  small  and 
indefinite  to  map. 

In  general  the  topography  is  gently  undulating  to  flat,  and  the 
areas  are  lower  than  the  surromiding  soils.  The  surface  drainage 
is  not  well  developed;  in  a  few  cases  artificial  drainage  has  been 
provided.  The  heavy,  impervious  subsoil  prevents  underdrainage, 
and  the  mottling  of  the  subsoil  is  present  even  on  slopes. 

This  type  has  a  small  total  area.  The  greater  part  of  it  is  utilized 
for  crop  production  and  pasture.  Possibly  10  or  15  per  cent  of  the 
type  is  forested,  the  principal  trees  being  oak  and  hickory,  with 
some  elm,  ash,  and  pin  oak  in  more  poorly  drained  situations. 

Oats,  wheat,  and  hay  are  more  important  crops  than  corn  on  the 
Crosby  silt  loam,  and  dairying  is  the  most  important  live-stock 
industry.  Under  average  conditions  oats  yield  about  30  bushels, 
wheat  15  bushels,  and  rye  12  bushels  per  acre.  Timothy  yields 
over  1  ton  of  hay  per  acre.  This  soil  is  cold  and  late,  and  corn 
planting  frequently  is  so  delayed  that  the  crop  can  hardly  mature 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER   COUNTY,    INDIANA.  25 

before  frosts.  In  wet  seasons  the  crop  is  likely  to  be  a  failure,  but 
under  favorable  conditions  yields  of  25  bushels  or  more  per  acre  are 
obtained. 

The  Crosby  silt  loam  is  used  largely  for  dairying,  a  large  part 
being  in  pastine  and  hay  land,  with  corn  grown  for  ensilage  and 
small  grains  as  cash  crops.  Practically  the  only  fertilizer  used  is 
barnyard  manure. 

This  type  sells  for  about  $100  an  acre,  though  the  price  varies 
according  to  location  and  improvements. 

The  principal  needs  of  the  Crosby  silt  loam  are  more  thorough 
drainage  and  the  incorporation  of  organic  matter  to  improve  its 
physical  condition  and  increase  the  nitrogen  content.  Although  the 
substratum  is  calcareous,  the  surface  material  is  deficient  in  lime. 
The  use  of  finely-ground  limestone  improves  the  structure  of  the  soil, 
and  renders  it  more  favorable  for  the  production  of  clover  and  other 
legumes. 

CARRINGTON    SILT    LOAM. 

The  Carrington  silt  loam  consists  of  a  dark-brown  to  black,  friable 
silt  loam  about  12  inches  deep,  underlain  by  brown  to  yellowish- 
brown  silty  clay' loam  to  silty  clay.  The  substratum  usually  con- 
sists of  a  heavy,  slightly  calcareous  till.  Bowlders,  stones,  and 
gravel  occur  on  the  surface  and  in  the  soil.  In  flat  areas  and  where 
the  subsoil  is  dense,  mottlings  occur  in  the  subsoil. 

The  greater  part  of  this  type  occurs  in  the  prairie  belt  around 
Hebron,  Hurlburt,  and  Boone  Grove.  A  large  area  lies  about 
Wlieeler,  and  is  characterized  by  a  somewhat  heavier  and  more 
mottled  subsoil  than  the  typical  Carrington  silt  loam,  being  more 
nearly  like  the  Brookston  silt  loam.^ 

In  general  the  topography  of  the  Carrington  silt  loam  is  gently 
undulating  to  gently  rolling,  with  long,  smooth  slopes  and  irregular 
knolls.  Where  it  borders  on  the  marsh  lands  south  and  east  of 
Hebron  and  east  of  Boone  Grove,  the  type  is  quite  flat  and  has  many 
of  the  characteristics  of  the  Waukesha  silt  loam.  The  drainage  is 
good.  It  is  effected  by  depressions  and  small  stream  ways,  which 
have  been  extended  by  open  ditches  and  tile  drains.  The  structure 
of  the  subsoil  and  substratum  usually  is  open  enough  to  permit  under- 
drainage  and  oxidation  of  the  material  to  a  depth  of  several  feet. 

Tlie  Carrington  silt  loam  is  one  of  the  most  important  soils,  agri- 
culturally, in  Porter  County,  and  includes  practically  no  waste  land. 
It  originally  was  prairie,  although  a  scattered  growth  of  bur  oak  and 
hazel  brush  occurred  near  the  forested  lands.  It  is  a  good  general- 
farming  soil,  and  corn,  oats,  and  hay  are  the  principal  crops.  Beef 
cattle,  dairy  cattle,  and  hogs  are  raised.  Thirty-five  or  forty  bushels 
of  corn  or  oats  per  acre  is  considered  a  fair  yield,  but  this  may  be 

I  The  Brookston  soils  differ  from  those  of  the  Carrington  series  in  having  mottled  subsoils  and  flatter 
surface  features  with  less  well  developed  drainage. 


26  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

almost  doubled.  Yields  of  about  U  tons  per  acre  of  timothy  or 
mixed  timotby  and  clover  hay  are  obtained. 

Tliis  type  is  handled  largely  under  the  system  of  farming  prevailing 
in  the  corn  beh.  Corn,  the  principal  crop,  is  sold  or  fed  to  hogs, 
cattle,  and  horses.  The  shredded  corn  stalks  are  used  for  winter 
roughage,  and  a  part  of  the  crop  usually  is  put  in  the  silo.  With  the 
exception  of  barnyard  manure  very  little  feitdizer  is  used. 

The  greater  part  of  this  type  is  valued  at  $125  to  $200  an  acre. 

Carrington  silt  loam,  light  phase. — The  Carrington  silt  loam,  light 
phase,  is  not  sufficiently  extensive  to  warrant  mapping  as  a  separate 
soil  type.  The  soil  to  a  depth  of  about  10  inches  is  a  dark-brown 
loam.  This  is  underlain  by  a  brown  loam  which  grades  into  yellowish- 
brown  or  buff  silty  clay  loam  to  silty  clay  at  depths  of  12  to  18  inches. 
The  areas  mapped  occur  near  Hebron  and  southeast  of  Valpa- 
raiso along  the  edge  of  the  moraine  and  outwash  plain.  The  phase 
usually  occupies  slopes  or  smoothly  rounded  knolls;  the  topography 
is  suitable  for  farming. 

Both  the  surface  and  underdrainage  are  naturally  well  established. 

Corn,  oats,  and  hay  are  the  principal  crops.  Some  fields  are  used 
for  pasture.  Crop  yields  approximately  equal  thos^  obtained  on  the 
typical  Carrington  silt  loam. 

The  Carrington  silt  loam,  light  phase,  is  considered  shghtly  easier 
to  cultivate  than  the  typical  soil,  but  the  methods  of  handling  and 
farm  values  are  about  the  same  as  on  the  main  type. 

CLYDE    SILTY   CLAY   LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Clyde  silty  clay  loam  is  black,  and  ranges  from  a 
silt  loam  to  a  silty  clay  loam  in  texture.  The  subsoil  is  a  light-gray 
or  drab,  heavy,  plastic  silty  clay,  mottled  with  yellow  and  brown  below 
about  24  inches.  In  places  the  gray  color  predominates  in  the  lower 
subsoil,  and  the  yellow  color  in  the  upper  part.  The  substratum  con- 
sists of  moderately  calcareous  till.  Some  stones  are  found  on  this  type. 
The  soil  is  derived'  from  till  occurring  in  depressed,  wet  areas.  The 
surface  may  consist  partially  of  wash  from  the  adjoining  land,  and  it 
is  difficult  in  some  areas  to  decide  whether  the  soil  should  be  classed 
with  the  Clyde  series  or  with  the  Maumee  series,  the  soils  of  which  are 
derived  from  lake  sediments. 

The  Clyde  silty  clay  loam  generally  occurs  in  relatively  small  areas 
surrounded  by  Carrington,  Miami,  and  Crosby  soils.  Originally 
it  supported  a  growth  of  marsh  grasses,  though  areas  associated  with 
forested  soils  sometimes  were  covered  with  water  maple,  elm,  ash, 
willow,  and  other  trees.  Areas  of  this  type  are  scattered  throughout 
the  morainic  belt  in  the  central  part  of  Porter  County. 

The  surface  is  flat  and  low,  tliougli  not  always  distinctly  depressed 
below  the  adjoining  types.     The  natural  draijiage  is  naturally  very 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  27 

poor,  SO  that  ponds  form  in  wet  seasons,  but  surface  ditches  are  being 
extended  through  most  of  the  areas. 

This  type,  although  mapped  in  a  number  of  areas,  has  a  small 
total  acreage.  As  the  drainage  is  improved,  these  areas,  formerly 
used  only  for  hay  production  or  pasture,  are  used  more  extensively 
for  cultivated  crops,  chiefly  corn,  oats,  and  timothy.  Clover  is 
sometimes  grown,  and  some  areas  still  support  a  growth  of  native 
grasses. 

Timothy  yields  about  H  tons  per  acre.  Where  the  land  is  well 
drained  and  in  favorable  seasons  corn  and  oats  yield  35  or  40  bushels 
per  acre.  Corn  is  sometimes  injured  by  early  frosts,  but  good  yields 
of  ensilage  corn  are  obtained. 

This  land  is  new  and  naturally  productive,  and  little  use  is  made  of 
fertihzers  or  manure. 

The  selling  price  of  the  Clyde  silty  clay  loam  depends  largely  upon 
the  value  of  surrounding  soils.  Well-improved  and  well-located 
farms  sell  for  $125  to  $175  an  acre. 

The  chief  need  of  this  land  is  drainage. 

WAUKESHA   PINE    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Waukesha  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  dark-brown,  mellow, 
fine  sandy  loam,  averaging  10  or  12  inches  in  depth.  The  subsoil  is 
a  brown  or  yellowish-brown  fine  sandy  loam  or  loam,'  which  usually 
grades  into  loose  fine  sand  at  about  30  inches.  The  substratum  con- 
sists of  the  same  loose  material. 

Practically  all  this  type  occurs  in  several  areas  south  and  southeast 
of  Valparaiso.  It  usually  lies  near  the  old  glacial  channels,  and  may 
in  some  cases  be  derived  from  the  sandier  layers  which  underlie  other 
Waukesha  types.  The  topography  is  level  to  slightly  undulating 
near  the  glacial  channels.  Both  the  surface  drainage  and  under- 
drainage  are  good.  The  latter  may  be  excessive,  making  the  soil 
somewhat  droughty. 

The  relatively  small  acreage  of  this  type  in  Porter  County  is  all 
under  cultivation.  Corn,  oats,  hay,  and  wheat  are  the  most  impor- 
tant crops.  In  average  seasons  the  yields  equal  those  on  the  Wau- 
kesha loam,  but  they  may  be  decreased  in  times  of  drought.  The 
productiveness  of  this  type  is  mamtained  by  growing  clover  and  ap- 
plying barnyard  manure. 

The  value ^of  this  land  ranges  from  about  $100  to  $150  an  acre. 

WAUKESHA   LOAM. 

The  Waukesha  loam  is  dark  brown  to  a  depth  of  10  or  12  inches, 
where  it  becomes  buff  brown,  the  loam  grading  into  yellowish-brown 
sandy  loam  within  3  feet  of  the  surface.  The  substratum  consists  of 
porous  gravelly  material  similar  to  that  underlying  the  Waukesha  silt 


28  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  1916. 

loam.  Boundaries  between  this  type  and  surrounding  soils  neces- 
sarily are  largely  arbitrary,  as  it  merges  very  gradually  with  the 
Waukeslia  silt  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam  on  the  one  hand,  and  has 
some  of  the  mottled  and  acid  characteristics  of  the  Newton  soils  on 
the  other. 

The  Waukesha  loam  occurs  in  close  association  with  the  Waukesha 
silt  loam,  but  usually  farther  south  from  the  moraine.  It  is  practi- 
cally identical  with  the  silt  loam  in  topography,  drainage  conditions, 
and  extent  of  use.     It  may  be  slightly  more  subject  to  drought. 

Corn,  oats,  and  hay  are  the  main  crops.  Yields  of  35  to  40  bushels 
or  more  of  the  grains  and  1  ton  of  hay  per  acre  are  obtained.  The 
Waukesha  loam  is  devoted  largely  to  grain  farming,  though  some 
cattle  and  hogs  are  raised.  No  important  use  is  made  of  commercial 
fertilizers. 

This  type  has  a  somewhat  lower  average  value  than  the  Waukesha 
silt  loam,  because  of  its  distance  from  towns  and  association  with 
poorer  soils. 

The  Waukesha  loam  would  be  benefited  by  artificial  drainage  in 
some  of  the  lower  places,  and  liming  would  be  helpful  where  a  growth 
of  dewberries  and  red  sorrel  indicate  an  acid  condition. 

WAUKESHA   SILT   LOAM. 

The  Waukesha  silt  loam  is  a  dark-brown  silt  loam  about  10  inches 
deep,  underlain  by  a  brown  to  yellowish-brown  silt  loam  to  silty  clay 
loam,  which  in  turn  passes  into  lighter  brown  sandy  loam  or  even 
loose  sand  at  depths  of  2^  to  3  feet.  The  substratum  consists  of  sandy 
and  gravelly  material  containing  a  considerable  percentage  of  shale 
and  some  limestone  fragments.  Tliis  outwash  material  usually  rests 
on  till  at  30  to  50  feet  below  the  surface.  The  soil  tends  to  become 
lighter  textured  along  the  contact  with  the  Waukesha  loam,  and  in- 
cludes slight  depressions  in  which  the  subsoil  is  mottled. 

This  type  occurs  along  the  border  of  the  moraine  in  the  highest 
part  of  the  outwash  plain.  The  largest  areas  lie  3  miles  east  of  Val- 
paraiso, near  Maiden  and  Tassinong  School  and  northeast  of  Ayles- 
worth  School.  It  occupies  plainlike  bodies  which  are  not  always  dis- 
tinctly separated  from  ice-laid  deposits. 

The  topography  is  in  general  flat,  with  slight  relief  where  traversed 
by  old  drainage  channels.  The  surface  slopes  gently  to  the  south, 
with  a  gradient  of  5  to  10  feet  to  the  mile.  The  natural  drainage  is 
fair,  and  the  slope  of  the  land  and  the  presence  of  the  old  channels 
favor  the  construction  of  ditches.  The  porous  subsoil  and  substratum 
afford  good  underdrainage,  although  the  land  is  not  considered, 
droughty. 

The  Waukesha  silt  loam  is  almost  entirely  under  cultivation. 
Corn,  oats,  and  hay,  with  some  wheat,  arc  the  principal  crops.     The 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER  COUNTY,   INDIANA.  29 

dairy  and  live-stock  industries  are  not  so  important  as  on  the  "clay" 
lands.  Corn  and  oats  average  about  40  bushels  per  acre  and  are  less 
subject  to  injury  in  wet  seasons  than  on  types  with  dense  clay  sub- 
soils. Timothy,  or  timothy  and  clover  mixed,  yields  about  1^  tons 
of  hay  per  acre. 

Farms  on  this  type  are  handled  under  the  usual  grain-farming  sys- 
tem. The  farmers  depend  on  the  use  of  barnyard  manure  and  the 
growing  of  clover  for  maintaining  the  productiveness  of  the  land. 

Most  of  tliis  type  is  well  located  and  well  improved.  The  average 
value  is  somewhat  over  $150  an  acre. 

PLAINFIELD    FINE    SAND. 

The  Plainfield  fine  sand  consists  of  a  light  grayish  brown,  loamy 
fine  sand  6  or  8  inches  deep,  underlain  by  light  yellowish  brown 
loamy  fine  sand  to  loose  fine  sand,  which  usually  extends  to  con- 
siderable depths  without  change. 

Tliis  type  occurs  most  extensively  near  Kouts  and  Baums  Bridge, 
and  from  McCool  westward  to  Lake  County.  A  few  areas  are  found 
near  Montdale  and  Clanricarde  and  in  other  parts  of  the  county. 

The  topography  is  flat  and  smooth  to  slightly  ridged  and  billowy 
where  the  wind  has  shifted  the  surface  material  to  some  extent.  On 
account  of  its  comparatively  elevated  position  above  tJie  water  table 
in  the  Kankakee  Basin  and  the  loose  character  of  the  soil  material, 
the  type  is  somewhat  droughty.  This  tendency  has  been  increased 
by  the  extensive  drainage  operations  of  recent  years. 

The  importance  of  this  type  has  been  decreased  since  the  black 
marsh  lands  have  been  drained  and  prepared  for  cultivation.  Possi- 
bly 15  or  20  per  cent  of  the  type  is  forested,  chiefly  with  red,  black, 
and  pin  oak  and  some  hickory.  In  general  the  trees  are  larger 
and  more  thrifty  than  those  on  the  extensive  areas  of  this  type  in 
Starke  County. 

Corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  hay  are  the  most  important  crops.  Dairy- 
ing and  other  stock  industries  are  relatively  unimportant.  The 
better  part  of  the  type  produces  yields  approximately  equal  to 
those  obtained  on  the  Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam,  but  crops  on  the 
loose,  droughty,  and  slightly  drifted  areas  do  not  do  so  well.  Usually 
all  the  available  manure  is  applied  to  the  fields,  and  some  commer- 
cial fertiUzer  is  used  for  corn  and  wheat. 

Tlie  value  of  this  land  ranges  from  about  $40  to  over  $100  an  acre, 
according  to  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  and  its  location. 

This  type  requires  the  same  treatment  as  the  Plainfield  fine  sandy 
loam.  The  production  of  cowpeas,  both  for  the  seed  and  for  soil 
improvement,  has  been  found  profitable,  and  much  of  the  land 
would  be  benefited  by  light  applications  of  lime. 


30  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1016. 

Plainfield  fine  sand,  rolling  please. — In  uncultivated  areas  the 
rolling  phase  of  the  Plainfield  fine  sand  consists  of  2  or  3  inches  of 
brown  loamy  fine  sand,  overlying  yellowish-brown,  loose  fine  sand. 
In  plowed  fields  the  dark  surface  color  usually  disappears. 

This  soil  is  mapped  in  a  more  or  less  continuous  strip  across  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  and  in  several  irregular  areas  south  of 
Kouts  and  near  the  Kankakee  River. 

The  topography  is  ridged  and  dunelike,  and  this  is  the  distinguish- 
ing characteristic  of  the  phase.  It  ranges  from  sliglitly  billowy  to 
ahnost  as  rough  as  tlie  dunes  along  the  lake  front.  The  phase  is 
very  droughty. 

It  is  estimated  that  nearly  one-half  tlie  phase  is  covered  with  a 
rather  scrubby  growth  of  oak.  There  is  a  scattering  of  pine  north 
of  Furnessville.  Some  areas  are  underlain  by  heavier  material, 
which  holds  the  water  comparatively  near  the  surface,  and  the  trees 
on  such  areas  have  a  more  sturdy  appearance. 

The  principal  crops  grown  are  corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  hay.  Many 
farmers  are  experimenting  with  special  crops,  such  as  cowpeas, 
cucumbers,  tomatoes,  and  even  alfalfa.  Some  dairy  cows  and  other 
stock  are  pastured. 

Although  only  the  better  parts  of  this  phase  are  farmed,  the 
average  crop  yields  are  hardly  profitable.  Some  manure  is  applied, 
and  weeds,  stubbles,  etc.,  are  commonly  plowed  under. 

For  farming,  little  of  this  phase  is  valued  at  more  than  $50  an 
acre,  although  much  of  it  is  held  at  higlier  prices  because  of  its 
speculative  value  as  sites  for  manufacturing  plants  along  the  lake 
front. 

This  soil  is  in  need  of  the  same  treatment  as  the  Plainfield  fine 
aand,  but  probably  can  not  be  converted  into  a  strong  soil.  There 
is  a  possibility  that  this  and  other  light  sandy  soils  of  the  county 
could  successfully  be  used  for  the  production  of  huckleberries. 
These  berries  grow  wild  and  bear  well  even  on  the  duneUke  hills. 

PLAINFIELD    FINE    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  a  fine  sandy  loam  to 
loamy  fine  sand.  It  is  grayish  brown  to  a  depth  of  8  to  10  inches, 
below  which  it  becomes  light  yellowish  brown.  At  about  20  inches 
there  is  a  relatively  compact  stratum  of  fine  sandy  loam  to  clay 
loam,  and  this  grades  into  loose,  yellowish-brown  sand  at  about  3 
feet.  The  loose  material  also  makes  up  the  substratum.  This  type 
may  grade  into  the  Plainfield  fine  sand  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Plain- 
field  loam  on  the  other.  In  some  places  the  surface  soil  is  dark  to  a 
depth  of  several  inches.  A  few  low-lying  areas  have  unusually  heavy 
subsoils,  slightly  mottled  with  gray  and  somewhat  acid. 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    PORTER    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  31 

This  type  is  found  in  a  number  of  areas  on  the  Kankakee  Phiin, 
the  most  typical  of  which  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Kouts.  Areas 
are  mapped  at  Chesterton  and  2  miles  northeast  of  Burdick,  where 
sandy  delta  deposits  were  laid  down  in  the  bay  of  glacial  Lake 
Chicago. 

The  topography  is  level,  though  slightly  ridged  and  elevated  where 
the  type  occupies  the  natural  levees  of  glacial  outwash  channels. 
The  type  is  well  drained  and  sometimes  droughty,  because  of  the  loose 
sandy  nature  of  both  soil  and  subsoil. 

Tlie  Plainficld  fine  sandy  loam  has  a  relatively  small  total  area  in 
Porter  County,  but  was  one  of  the  first  soils  brought  under  cultivation 
in  the  Kankakee  Basin.  Only  a  small  part  of  it  is  forested,  the  timber 
consisting  of  good-sized  oak  and  some  hickory. 

Like  the  Plainfield  loam,  this  type  is  used  for  general  farming, 
which  includes  the  production  ol  corn,  oats,  hay,  and  wheat,  the  raising 
of  some  hogs,  and  fattening  steers.  Crop  yields  depend  largely  upon 
the  way  the  soil  is  handled.  Wlierc  it  has  been  carefully  cultivated, 
manured,  and  used  for  growing  clover,  yields  of  25  to  30  bushels  of 
corn  per  acre  and  about  the  same  yiield  of  oats  are  obtained,  with 
much  better  yields  in  particularly  favorable  seasons.  Timothy  and 
clover  produce  about  1  ton  of  hay  per  acre. 

The  selling  price  of  this  soil  is  about  equal  to  that  of  the  Plainficld 
loam. 

The  productiveness  of  the  Plainfield  fine  sandy  loam  could  be  in- 
creased on  many  farms  by  adding  organic  matter  to  the  soil.  Where 
other  conditions  are  favorable,  dairymg  and  feeding  operations  are 
beneficial,  owing  to  the  manure  produced.  Wliere  it  is  difficult  to 
grow  clover,  cowpeas  may  be  grown.  This  crop  may  be  sown  broad- 
cast and  cut  for  hay  or  pastured  and  turned  under,  or  it  may  be 
planted  in  rows  and  harvested  for  the  seed  or  for  hay.  Where  acid- 
mdicating  plants,  such  as  dewberries,  cinquefoil,  and  sorrel,  are 
plentiful,  liming  should  prove  beneficial. 

PLAINFIELD   LOAM. 

The  Plamfield  loam  consists  of  8  or  10  inches  of  light  grayish  brown 
loam  to  heavy  fuie  sandy  loam,  underlain  by  a  light  yellowish  brown 
loam  or  fine  sandy  loam  which  passes  into  loose  sand  at  about  30 
inches.  In  some  spots  the  subsoil  is  a  clay  loam,  slightly  mottled 
with  gray  and  brown.  The  substratum  consists  of  a  deep  deposit  of 
loose  sand  and  gravel. 

Most  of  this  type  is  included  in  several  areas  in  the  northern  and 
higher  part  of  the  outwash  plain.  Some  of  the  largest  areas  are  near 
Maiden  and  north  of  Liberty  View. 

The  surface  is  flat  and  level  except  for  the  general  southward  slope 
of  the  outwash  plain  and  the  iiTcgular  slopes  along  old  glacial  channels. 


32  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1916. 

The  type  occupies  a  part  of  the  low  natural  levees  along  the  old  chan- 
nels and  therefore  lies  slightly  higher  than  land  farther  back.  The 
drainage  is  naturally  good,  owing  to  its  elevated  position  and  porous 
subsoil.  Since  the  extensive  drainage  system  of  the  Kankakee 
Basin  has  lowered  the  water  table  several  feet,  all  the  Plamfield  soils 
are  more  subject  to  drought  than  formerly. 

While  the  Plainfleld  loam  is  not  extensive  in  Porter  County,  it 
includes  some  of  the  better  land  of  the  outwash  plain,  and  is  largely 
cultivated.  A  small  part  of  the  type  still  supports  a  thi-ifty  growth 
of  oak  and  hickory.  The  principal  crops  are  corn,  oats,  hay,  and 
wheat.  Cattle  and  hogs  are  fed  or  raised  in  small  numbers  on  most 
farms. 

Most  of  this  type  is  carefully  handled.  Corn  yields  20  to  50  bushels, 
averaging  about  30  bushels  per  acre.  About  30  bushels  of  oats  per 
acre  are  obtained.  A  ton  of  timothy  hay  per  acre  is  considered  a  fair 
yield.  Considerable  use  is  made  of  manure  for  improving  the  type, 
and  clover  is  grown  where  a  good  stand  can  be  obtained. 

The  Plainfield  loam  is  held  for  $75  to  $140  an  acre,  according  to 
improvements,  location,  and  condition  of  the  soil. 

This  type  is  in  need  of  organic  matter,  which  can  be  supplied  by 
adding  manure  and  growing  legumes.  Cowpeas  and  soy  beans  would 
be  valuable  crops.  Liming  facilitates  the  growhig  of  the  legumes, 
especially  clover.  Thorough  cultivation  renders  the  soil  more  drought 
resistant. 

LUCAS   LOAM. 

The  Lucas  loam,  as  mapped  in  Porter  County,  is  rather  variable, 
and  much  of  it  might  properly  be  classed  with  the  Homer  series  if 
the  bodies  of  such  character  were  of  sufficient  extent  to  warrant 
separation.  In  the  most  typical  areas  the  surface  8  inches  is  a 
brownish-gray  heavy  loam.  This  is  underlain  by  light  yellowish- 
brown  loam,  which  quickly  passes  into  yellowish-brown,  heavy, 
plastic  clay,  more  or  less  mottled  with  gray.  Sometimes  the  light- 
gray  color  in  the  subsoil  is  very  pronounced .  Local  variations  occur, 
where  the  texture  of  the  surface  soil  approaches  a  fine  sandy  loam. 
The  type  is  derived  from  lake-bed  deposits  which  may  have  a  slight 
overwash  of  lighter  material  where  the  areas  lie  near  streams  issuing 
from  the  moraine. 

This  type  is  mapped  in  scattered  areas  in  the  lake  plain  north  of 
the  Valparaiso  Moraine,  the  largest  area  lying  southeast  of  McCool. 
The  topography  is  level  except  where  small  draws  and  streams  occur. 

The  Lucas  loam  type  was  originally  forested,  and  the  natural 
drainage  was  good  because  of  its  proximity  to  streams.  In  some 
areas  where  the  surface  drainage  was  imperfect,  the  subsoil  has  the 
characteristics  of  that  of  the  Homer  series. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  33 

The  Lucas  loam  is  too  inextensive  to  be  of  any  importance  in  the 
agriculture  of  Porter  County.  Most  of  it  is  cultivated,  however,  and 
the  remainder  is  used  for  pasture  or  woodlots. 

Corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  hay  are  the  chief  crops,  and  some  stock  is 
kept.  Wheat  is  less  subject  to  winterkilling  than  on  the  heavier 
lands,  and  the  soil  is  somewhat  better  for  corn  in  wet  seasons  than 
the  Lucas  silt  loam. 

The  greater  part  of  this  type  is  valued  at  $125  to  $175  an  acre. 

LUCAS   SILT   LOAM. 

The  Lucas  silt  loam  is  a  grayish  to  yellowish,  friable  silt  loam, 
underlain  by  light-yellow  or  yellow,  friable  silt  loam  to  silty  clay 
loam,  slightly  mottled  with  gray.  Tliis  passes  at  about  18  inches 
into  light  yellowish  brown,  dense,  plastic  silty  clay.  The  sub- 
stratum consists  of  the  same  heavy  clay,  which  contains  an  abundance 
of  lime  concretions  at  depths  of  4  to  7  feet.  Occasionally  light-gray 
mottlings  occur  in  the  subsoil,  but  these  are  not  typical. 

This  soil  is  derived  from  the  weathering  of  heavy  water-laid  clays. 
It  is  encountered  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  near  Chesterton 
and  McCool. 

The  topography  is  typically  flat,  but  as  mapped  in  this  county  the 
type  includes  narrow  belts  of  sloping  land,  along  the  Calumet  River 
and  Salt  Creek.  It  usually  occupies  slightly  higher  elevations  than 
adjacent  land,  and  because  of  its  elevated  position  and  the  dissection 
by  small  streams,  the  natural  drainage  is  good. 

The  Lucas  silt  loam  is  inextensive,  but  where  it  is  not  too  broken 
it  is  devoted  to  farming.  The  rougher  areas  are  forested  with  oak 
and  hickory. 

On  most  of  this  type  general  farming  includes  the  production  of 
grain,  stock  raising,  and  dairying.  The  ordinary  yield  of  corn  is 
about  35  bushels  per  acre,  of  oats  about  35  bushels,  and  of  wheat 
about  20  bushels.  This  is  a  good  hay  soil,  producing  over  1 J  tons  of 
timothy  per  acre.  The  type  is  usually  well  fertilized  with  barnyard 
manure,  and  clover  is  included  in  the  rotation  for  its  beneficial  effect 
on  the  soil. 

The  Lucas  silt  loam  occurs  in  such  irregular  and  smaU  areas  that 
its  value  depends '  largely  on  special  conditions  and  on  the  value  of 
adjoining  soils.     Most  of  it  is  valued  at  more  than  $125  an  acre. 

The  principal  need  of  this  type  is  organic  matter. 


34 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 


Tlie  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil,  subsurface  soil,  subsoil,  and  lower  subsoil  of  the 
Lucas  silt  loam: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Lucas  silt  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
saud. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

282591 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.1 

.0 

.0 

.0 

Per  cent. 
1.0 
.4 
.3 
.9 

Per  cent. 

1.3 
.5 
.4 

1.3 

Per  cent. 

12.0 
5.7 
4.0 

10.0 

Per  cent. 

6.8 
4.3 
3.9 
0.5 

Per  cent. 

68. 1 

T.'i.  0 
66. 0 

48.1 

Per  cent. 
10.6 

282592 

282593 

Subsurface 

Subsoil  

14.0 
25.3 

282594 

Lower  subsoil... 

32.9 

MAUMEE    LO.\MY    FINE    SAND. 


The  Maumee  loamy  fine  sand  consists  of  a  black  or  dark-gray 
loamy  fine  sand,  ranging  from  8  to  16  inches  in  depth,  and  underlain 
by  light-gray,  loose,  incoherent  fine  sand.  The  deeper  areas  may 
have  a  slightly  heavier  subsoil  than  the  typical.  In  places  the  subsoil 
is  mottled  with  yellowish  brown  and  rusty  brown.  Near  Dunnes 
Bridge  a  variation  of  this  type  is  forested  with  pin  oak  and  blackjack 
oak,  the  typical  soil  being  marshy  prairie. 

The  Maumee  loamy  fine  sand  is  largely  confined  to  a  strip  of  land 
within  2  miles  of  Lake  Michigan,  with  a  large  area  along  the  Kankakee 
River  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county.  A  few  small  areas  are 
found  in  other  parts  of  the  Kankakee  Basin. 

The  type  has  a  smooth,  level  surface.  It  was  originally  marshy 
and  covered  with  water  a  part  of  the  year  The  areas  occurring  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  county  are  difficult  to  drain  and  are  wet  in 
rainy  seasons.  The  part  of  the  type  around  Finns  is  so  near  the  level 
of  the  Kankakee  River  that  dredged  ditches  do  not  give  sufficient 
outlet,  although  they  greatly  improve  the  drainage  conditions. 

This  soil  is  unimportant  in  Porter  County  because  of  its  small 
extent,  rather  low  natural  productiveness,  and  undeveloped  condi- 
tion. It  is  estimated  that  over  one-half  the  type  is  in  forest  or 
marshes,  but  more  is  being  reclaimed  each  year. 

Corn  and  oats  are  the  principal  crops,  and  considerable  marsh  hay 
is  cut.  Some  buckwheat  is  grown  on  land  that  is  too  wet  in  the  spring 
to  put  in  corn.  Cattle  are  grazed  on  parts  of  the  type.  The  average 
crop  yields  are  somewhat  lower  than  on  the  Maumee  fine  sandy  loam, 
although  only  the  best  part  of  the  type  is  farmed.  Liming  has 
been  found  beneficial  in  some  areas,  and  phosphatic  fertilizers  usually 
are  profitable  on  such  land. 

The  value  of  undeveloped  areas  of  this  type  is  very  low,  but 
improved,  cultivated  land  is  held  for  S75  to  $100  an  acre. 

The  Maumee  loamy  fine  sand  is  primarily  in  need  of  improved 
drainage,  and  where  drained  liming  is  beneficial. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER   COUNTY,    INDIANA.  35 


MAUMEE    FINE    SANDY   LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Maumee  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  black,  mellow  fine 
sandy  loam  to  loamy  fine  sand,  ranging  in  depth  from  12  to  20  inches. 
This  is  underlain  by  a  dark-gray,  slightly  mottled  with  yellow,  fine 
sandy  loam,  grading  within  a  few  inches  into  a  light-gray  fine  sandy 
loam.  In  places  rusty-brown  mottlings  are  present  in  the  subsoil. 
The  substratum  usually  consists  of  light-gray,  loose  sand,  more  or 
less  mottled  with  yellow.  The  principal  variations  of  this  type  are 
areas  having  a  slightly  mucky  surface  or  areas  approaching  the 
Maumee  loamy  fine  sand  in  texture. 

Most  of  the  Maumee  fine  sandy  loam  is  comprised  in  one  area  lying 
south  of  Clanricarde  and  Kouts.  Other  small  areas  occur  along 
Crooked  Creek  and  Sandy  Hook  Ditch. 

This  type  has  the  characteristic  level  topography  of  the  other 
Maumee  soils.  Fifteen  to  twenty-five  years  ago  this  land  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  Kankakee  marshes;  to-day  it  is  good  farm  land,  having 
been  reclaimed  by  dredged  ditches.  All  the  type  is  used  for  agricul- 
ture, and  corn,  oats,  hay,  and  wheat  have  displaced  marsh  hay, 
which  was  formerly  the  only  crop  produced. 

This  soil  is  practically  virgin,  and  the  yields  are  stiU  good.  Corn 
and  oats  produce  from  25  to  55  bushels  per  acre.  Wheat  averages 
nearly  20  bushels  per  acre,  with  yields  as  high  as  40  bushels  in  excep- 
tionally favorable  years.  Yields  of  timothy  and  clover  hay  range 
from  1  to  2  tons  per  acre. 

Farmers  on  this  soil  make  little  use  of  fertilizer,  except  potash, 
applications  of  which  are  made  on  slightly  mucky  land  and  in  fields 
where  corn  is  damaged  by  insects. 

The  Maumee  fine  sandy  loam  usually  is  valued  at  $100  to  $150 
an  acre. 

The  large  dredged  ditches  traversing  this  type  afford  good  outlets, 
but  some  parts  of  it  would  be  benefited  by  tile  drainage. 


MAUMEE   LOAM. 


The  Maumee  loam  consists  of  a  black  loam  to  a  depth  of  about  10 
inches,  underlain  by  a  dark-drab,  mottled  with  brown,  heavy  loam 
to  clay  loam,  passing  at  about  20  inches  into  light-gray,  more  or  less 
mottled  with  yellow  and  brown,  plastic  clay.  Textural  variations 
occur  where  the  surface  consists  of  fine  sandy  loam  to  a  depth  of  2  or 
3  inches,  and  also  where  the  surface  is  slightly  mucky.  The  sub- 
stratiun  usually  consists  of  water-laid  sand  and  gravel  interstratified 
with  layers  of  heavier  material. 

Most  of  the  Maumee  loam  is  mapped  near  Crooked  Creek  and  other 
shallow  drainage  channels  of  the  Kankakee  basin.  A  few  small 
areas  occur  within  or  north  of  the  morainic  belt.  Although  originally 
marshy,  this  type  has  been  reclaimed  by  dredged  ditches,  and  is  now 
fairly  well  drained. 


36 


FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS^  1916. 


The  Maumee  loam  is  fairly  extensive  and  one  of  the  important 
glacial-lake  soils.    It  comprises  no  waste  land. 

Fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago  marsh  hay  was  practically  the  only 
crop,  but  this  is  now  of  minor  importance.  Corn  and  oats,  with  some 
hay  and  wheat,  are  the  principal  crops  grown.  Most  farmers  raise  a 
lew  hogs  and  beef  cattle.  This  land  is  quite  productive  where 
properly  drained.  Yields  of  35  to  40  bushels  of  oats  and  corn,  about 
20  bushels  of  wheat,  and  about  1 }  tons  of  hay  per  acre  are  obtained. 
Fertilizers  have  never  been  used  to  any  great  extent. 

The  selhng  price  of  this  land  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  Mau- 
mee silty  clay  loam. 

The  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples  of  the  soil,  subsurface 
material,  subsoil,  and  lower  subsoil  of  the  Maumee  loam  are  given 
in  the  following  table: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Maumee  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gi'avel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Tine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt 

Clay. 

282517 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
2.1 
2.9 
1.2 

4.0 

Per  cent. 
7.0 
7.4 
7.7 
17.9 

Per  cent. 
8.0 
9.7 
11,4 
14.2 

Per  cent. 
20.7 
22.5 
27.8 
22.2 

Per  cent. 
14.6 
11.1 
10.6 

8.5 

Per  cent. 
34.4 
27.9 
23.8 
19.9 

Per  cent. 
13.1 

282518  

Subsurface . . 

Subsoil 

Lower  sub- 
soil. 

18.2 

282519 

17.4 

282520 , 

13.3 

MAUMEE    SILTY    CLAY   LOAM. 


The  Maumee  silty  clay  loam  consists  of  a  black  silty  clay  loam 
grading  at  8  to  12  inches  into  a  dark-drab  silty  clay,  shghtly  mottled 
with  brown,  and  this  passes  at  about  20  inches  into  light-gray  or 
drab,  plastic  clay,  mottled  with  rusty  brown.  Considerable  variation 
occurs  in  the  color  because  of  the  occurrence  of  local  spots  of  bog 
iron  ore  or  spots  where  a  mucky  surface  soil  has  burned  off.  In 
local  areas  the  surface  material  may  consist  of  muck  to  a  depth  of 
several  inches. 

The  Maumee  silty  clay  loam  is  mapped  in  the  old  drainage  channels 
cut  in  the  outwash  plain  south  of  the  Valparaiso  Moraine.  None, 
however,  occurs  southeast  of  Kouts,  where  the  Kankakee  Basin 
soils  become  sandier.  Other  areas  occur  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  especially  several  miles  north  of  Burdick.  A  few  areas 
along  existing  streams  are  partly  alluvial  in  origin.  The  surface 
of  the  type  is  flat  and  level  except  for  a  gentle  slope  toward  the 
stream  ways  and  the  presence  of  very  slight  ridges  and  depressions. 

This  type  originally  was  marsh  land,  and  covered  with  water  at 
least  a  part  of  the  year.  Ditches  have  lowered  the  water  table,  and 
the  type  is  no  longer  inundated.  Much  of  this  soil  has  a  more  or  less 
sandy  substratum,  and  dredged  ditches  are  unusually  effective. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTER  COUNTY,   INDIANA. 


37 


Nearly  aQ  this  land  is  under  cultivation.  Corn  and  oats  are  the 
principal  crops.  Marsh  hay,  formerly  the  chief  crop,  is  still  cut  from 
a  few  fields.  Timothy  and  clover  are  grown,  and  cattle,  usually  the 
beel  type,  are  pastured.  Corn  and  oats  yield  about  40  bushels  per 
acre  in  well-drained  fields,  but  the  yields  depend  largely  on  the 
season.  The  yield  of  timothy  or  clover  hay  is  about  1^  tons  per 
acre. 

This  land  is  new  and  strong  and  the  farmers  have  given  Uttle 
attention  to  fertilizing  it  or  maintaining  its  productiveness.  In  the 
shghtly  mucky  areas  some  potash  has  been  used  in  growing  corn. 

Most  of  the  Maumee  silty  clay  loam  is  held  for  $100  to  $150  an 
acre. 

More  thorough  drainage  is  the  main  need  of  this  land.  Although 
outlets  are  now  provided,  many  fields  need  tiling  to  hasten  the  re- 
moval of  water,  so  that  crops  may  be  seeded  early  arid  cultivated 
regularly.  The  rotation  of  crops,  including  the  legumes,  is  beneficial 
on  this  soil. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of- 
samples  of  the  soil,  subsoil,  and  lower  subsoil  of  the  Maumee  silty 
clay  loam : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Maumee  silty  clay  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

2S2557      

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.4 

.5 

.2 

Per  cent. 
1.5 
1.8 
1.3 

Per  cent. 
2.0 
2.7 
2.3 

Per  cent. 
20.3 
15.9 
15.3 

Per  cent. 
16.3 
14.0 
14.0 

Per  cent. 
41.6 
42.9 
42.2 

Per  cent. 
17  9 

282558 

282559 

Subsoil 

Lower  sub- 
soil. 

22.3 
24  8 

HOMER    SILT   LOAM. 


The  Homer  silt  loam  consists  of  a  hght-gray  to  brownish-gray 
rather  compact  silt  loam  to  a  depth  of  about  8  inches,  where  a  light- 
gray  to  white  silt  loam  subsurface  layer  is  encountered.  The  sub- 
soil, which  begins  at  12  to  16  inches,  consists  of  light-gray  or  drab, 
more  or  less  mottled  with  yellow  and  brown,  heavy,  plastic  clay. 
Some  color  variations  occur.  Accumulations  of  organic  matter  in 
places  make  the  surface  soil  somewhat  darker,  while  in  other  places 
the  entire  soil  section  is  a  very  light-gray.  More  yellow  occurs  in 
the  subsoil,  in  the  zone  of  transition  between  the  Homer  silt  loam 
and  the  Lucas  soils. 

The  soil  materials  giving  rise  to  this  type  consist  of  heavy  lake- 
bed  deposits,  entirely  free  from  »tone.  The  substratum  is  a  heavy 
compact  clay,  calcareous  at  a  depth  of  5  or  6  feet,  where  Ume  con- 
cretions are  foimd. 


38 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1!)16. 


The  Homer  silt  loam  is  mapped  in  the  lake  plain  north  of  the 
moraine,  mainly  south  of  the  Calumet  River,  the  largest  area  occur- 
ring between  Chesterton  and  Crocker.  Other  areas  are  mapped 
northeast  of  Chesterton  and  northwest  and  northeast  of  Wheeler. 

The  topography  is  flat,  with  only  a  few  slight  irregularities.  This 
soil  is  not  reached  by  natural  drainage  ways,  but  ditches  afford  an 
outlet  for  surface  waters.  The  heavy  clay  subsoil  and  substratum 
greatly  retard  underdrainage. 

This  is  one  of  the  more  extensive  and  important  types  in  the 
lake  plain  along  the  northern  boundary  of  the  county.  Originally 
it  was  covered  with  a  forest  of  red,  black,  and  pin  oak  and  elm, 
but  with  the  exception  of  a  few  woodlots,  it  has  all  been  cleared 
and  placed  under  cultivation. 

The  Homer  silt  loam  is  a  good  grass  and  small-grain  soil,  and  a 
fair  corn  soil.  Tlie  average  jdelds  per  acre  are  nearly  1^  tons  of 
timothy  hay,  35  to  40  bushels  of  oats,  20  to  25  bushels  of  wheat 
where  the  crop  escapes  winterkilling,  and  about  35  bushels  of  corn 
when  the  season  is  not  too  wet.  Most  of  the  farmers  keep  a  few 
cows  and  ship  milk  to  Cliicago. 

The  value  of  this  land  depends  largely  upon  the  manner  in  which 
it  has  been  handled  and  improved.  It  is  held  at  prices  ranging 
from  SI 00  to  $200  an  acre. 

The  principal  needs  of  the  Homer  silt  loam  are  improved  drainage, 
which  would  insure  better  corn  crops  in  wet  seasons  and  make  it 
easier  to  keep  the  land  in  good  tilth,  and  an  increase  in  the  organic- 
matter  supply. 

The  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples  of  the  soil,  sub- 
surface material,  subsoil,  and  lower  subsoil  of  the  Homer  silt  loam 
are  given  in  the  following  table : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Homer  silt  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

sut. 

Clay. 

282532     

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.5 

1.5 

.2 

1.4 

Per  cent. 
1.6 
1.9 
1.1 
4.7 

Per  cent. 
2.1 
1.9 
1.2 
11.7 

Per  cent. 

9.5 

10.2 

6.S 

62.5 

Per  cent. 
6.0 
5.8 
2.6 
3.9 

Per  cent. 
59.2 
56.5 
49.7 
11.4 

Per  cent . 
21.2 

282533 

Subsurfac* . . 

Subsoil 

Lower  sub- 
soil. 

22.0 

282534 

38.1 

282535 

4.2 

NEWTON    FINE     SANDY   LOAM. 


The  Newton  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  about  6  inches  of  mellow 
loamy  fine  sand  to  fine  sandy  loam"  grading  into  light  grayish  brown 
or  yellowish-brown  loamy  fine  sand  to  fine  sandy  loam  more  or 
less  mottled  with  yellow  and  brown.  The  deep  subsoil  and  sub- 
stratum usually  consist  of  yellowish-brown  loose  sand  and  gravel. 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    PORTER    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  39 

The  boundaries  of  this  type  are  often  difficult  to  estabUsh,  as  the 
soil  grades  by  imperceptible  changes  in  elevation  or  color  into  sur- 
rounding Maumee,  Plainfield,  and  Waukesha  types. 

This  type  is  mapped  in  a  large  area  near  Grassmere  and  in  several 
smaller  bodies  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

The  surface  is  level  except  for  a  general  southward  slope  of  about 
5  feet  per  mile.  The  type  occupies  a  position  intermediate  in  ele- 
vation between  the  lower  lying  Maumee  types  and  the  higher  Plain- 
field  soils.  The  natural  drainage  of  the  Newton  fine  sandy  loam 
was  imperfect,  notwithstanding  the  porous  substratum,  because  of 
the  high  level  of  the  water  table  throughout  the  Kankakee  Basin, 
but  the  soil  is  now  well  drained  by  a  system  of  ditches. 

Typically  the  Newton  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  desirable  soil,  com- 
paring favorably  with  the  heavier  soils  in  crop  yields,  but  in  Porter 
County  crops  on  this  type  do  not  do  so  well  as  elsewhere.  Tlie  soil 
seems  to  be  in  an  extremely  acid  condition.  Where  it  is  still  in 
prairie  sod  the  grasses  make  a  very  irregular,  patchy  growth,  while 
on  the  lands  that  have  been  cultivated  there  may  be  a  dense  growth 
of  dewberries,  cinquefoil,  briers,  white  violets,  and  sorrel.  The  com 
crop  is  frequently  a  failure,  and  oats  and  wheat  make  a  very  patchy 
growth.     Efforts  to  grow  clover  have  generally  proved  unsuccessful. 

Investigations  of  this  class  of  land  *  indicate  that  its  unproduc- 
tiveness is  due  largely  to  acidity,  and  can  be  corrected  by  heavy 
applications  of  lime.  It  appears  that  nitrates  with  aluminum  as  the 
base,  are  formed  rapidly,  and  these  salts  in  very  dilute  solutions  so 
inhibit  the  development  of  plant  roots  and  root  hairs  that  the  crops 
fail  or  make  only  a  stunted  growth. 

Formerly  this  soil  was  used  chiefly  for  pasture  and  the  production 
of  wild  hay,  but  within  the  last  10  years  most  of  it  has  been  improved 
and  devoted  to  the  production  of  corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  hay.  While 
total  crop  failures  formerly  were  common,  crop  yields  have  generally 
been  increased  and  are  about  equal  to  those  obtained  on  the  Maumee 
fine  sandy  loam. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Newton  fine  sandy  loam  has  been  im- 
proved by  drainage,  followed  by  heavy  applications  of  lime  or  finely 
ground  limestone.  In  most  cases  it  has  been  found  necessary  and 
profitable  to  apply  phosphatic  fertilizers. 

This  land  is  held  for  $100  to  $150  an  acre. 

NEWTON   LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Newton  loam  is  a  dark-brown,  mellow  loam 
to  heavy  fine  sandy  loam,  ranging  from  8  to  12  inches  in  depth. 
The  subsoil  to  a  depth  of  about  2^  feet  is  a  mottled  yellowish-brown 

»  Bui.  No.  170,  Ind.  Agr.  Expt.  Sta.     See  also  Bui  No  157,  of  the  same  statloa. 


40  FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

and  gray  loam  changing  below  to  a  grayish  sandy  loam  or  gravelly 
sandy  loam,  which  usually  extends  to  a  depth  of  several  feet.  In 
most  of  the  type  the  soil  is  acid,  and  the  upper  subsoil  may  be 
slightly  acid  to  neutral,  but  the  lower  subsoil  and  the  substratum, 
where  very  little  weathering  has  taken  place,  may  carry  some  cal- 
careous material. 

This  type  occurs  in  a  large  body  around  Liberty  View  and  in 
several  smaller  areas  scattered  through  the  southern  part  of  the 
county.  It  is  flat  and  naturally  poorly  drained.  The  position  of 
the  type  is  intermediate  between  that  of  the  Plainfield  soils,  which 
have  good  drainage,  and  the  Maumee  soils  which  in  their  original 
condition  were  under  water  a  large  part  of  the  time. 

The  Newton  loam  is  not  extensive,  and  is  not  important  in  the 
agriculture  of  the  county. 

It  is  derived  from  water-laid  sediments,  in  association  with  the 
Plainfield,  Waukesha,  and  Maumee  soils.  Just  why  the  soil  is  so 
strongly  acid  or  toxic  to  plant  growth  has  not  been  fully  explained, 
but  it  seems  to  be  a  condition  brought  about  by  a  high-water  table 
and  excessive  evaporation  from  the  surface.  Better  drainage  is 
needed  and  when  this  is  provided  it  is  probable  that  the  type  wiU 
give  more  satisfactory  results  with  all  the  crops  now  grown.  It  has 
been  demonstrated  that  the  acid  or  toxic  condition  of  the  soil  can 
be  overcome,  in  a  large  measure  at  least,  by  heavy  applications  of 
lime,  and  it  is  said  that  applications  of  phosphatic  fertilizers  are 
beneficial. 

Most  of  the  attempts  at  farming  the  Newton  loam  have  proved 
unsatisfactory,  except  where  lime  has  been  applied.  It  is  formed  in 
the  same  way  as  the  Newton  fine  sandy  loam  and  the  yields  on  the 
two  types  are  about  the  same. 

The  value  of  the  Newton  loam  ranges  from  about  $100  to  $150  an 
acre. 

NEWTON   SILT  LOAM.* 

The  Newton  silt  loam  consists  of  a  dark  brownish  gray  heavy  silt 
loam,  with  an  average  depth  of  10  inches,  underlain  by  a  grayish- 
brown,  sHghtly  mottled  with  brown  and  gray,  silty  clay  loam,  which 
grades  at  a  depth  of  12  to  16  inches  into  a  mottled  yellow,  brown,  and 
gray  plastic  silty  clay.  The  substratum  consists  of  lake-deposited 
clays,  which  are  somewhat  calcareous. 

This  type  occurs  almost  entirely  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county,  as  the  lake-bed  part  of  "Twenty-mile  Prairie." 

The  surface  of  the  type  is  quite  flat,  except  for  slight  swales  and 
irregularities.     The  drainage  originally  was  imperfect,  although  this 

1  This  soil  is  the  same  as  one  mapped  in  Lalje  County,  Ind. ,  the  report  of  which  will  soon  be  published, 
as  the  Newton  silt  loam,  heavy  subsoil  yhase,  and  both  difler  from  the  typical  silt  loam  in  this  subsoil 
feature. 


SOIL   SURVEY    OF    PORTER   COUNTY,    INDIANA. 


41 


land  was  not  marshy  like  the  Clyde  soils.  Artificial  drainage  has 
been  provided  by  ditching  and  laying  tile  drains. 

The  Newton  silt  loam  is  inextensive,  but  all  the  type  is  well  suited 
to  crop  production.  Corn,  oats,  and  hay  are  the  most  important 
crops.     Some  cattle  are  pastured. 

Corn  is  a  profitable  crop,  averaging  35  to  40  bushels  per  acre,  with 
occasional  yields  of  over  60  bushels.  Oats  usually  give  about  the 
same  yields,  but  in  some  years  50  to  70  bushels  per  acre  is  not  an 
uncommon  yield.  Practically  no  fertibzers  are  used  in  growing  these 
crops. 

Land  of  this  type  has  an  average  value  of  about  $150  an  acre. 

The  principal  needs  of  tliis  soil  are  more  thorough  drainage  and 
crop  rotation  to  maintain  its  natural  productiveness. 

The  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples  of  the  soil,  sub- 
surface, subsoil,  and  lower  subsoil  of  the  Newton  silt  loam  are  given 
in  the  following  table: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Newton  silt  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

282569 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.6 

.8 

.4 

.4 

Per  cent. 

1.8 

2.0 

1.2 

.6 

Per  certt. 

1.5 

1.4 

1.0 

.6 

Per  cent. 
6.6 

4.2 
6.0 
3.5 

Per  cent. 
7.3 

5.1 
5.2 
1.2 

Per  cent. 
64.7 
60.1 

47.8 
63.0 

Per  cent. 
17.4 
26.4 
38.6 
30.9 

282570 

Subsurface . . 

Subsoil 

Lower  sub- 
soil. 

282571 

282572 

GRIFFIN   SILT  LOAM. 


The  Griffin  silt  loam  is  a  dark-brown  or  chocolate-brown,  friable 
silt  loam  from  8  to  12  inches  deep,  underlain  by  fighter  brown  silt 
loam  mottled  more  or  less  with  rusty  brown  and  drab.  In  places 
the  mottlings  are  very  pronounced,  and  textural  variations,  such  as 
fine,  sandy  strata,  occur  in  the  subsoil.  In  the  narrow  bottoms  of 
small  branches  both  the  color  and  texture  vary  widely.  In  the 
Calumet  VaUey,  where  the  stream  enters  Lake  County,  the  soil  is 
much  darker  and  heavier  than  the  typical  Griffin  silt  loam.  The  type 
is  derived  from  recent  alluvium,  washed  largely  from  glacial  soils, 
though  partly  from  lake  soils. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Griffin  silt  loam  occurs  in  the  bottoms  of  the 
Calumet  River,  Salt,  and  Coffee  Creeks,  and  small  streams  flowing 
north  from  the  county  divide.  The  few  areas  found  south  of  the 
divide  are  inextensive  and  are  not  typical. 

The  surface  is  flat  and  level  except  for  the  general  slope  of  the 
stream  vaUey  and  local  irregularities  representing  abandoned  stream 
channels.  The  drainage  is  fair  near  the  streams  but  poor  near  the 
uplands.  In  rainy  seasons  most  of  the  small  streams  overflow  their 
bottoms. 


42  FIELD   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916, 

Tliis  soil  is  inextensive,  and  only  a  small  part  of  it  has  been  culti- 
vated. There  are  a  few  fields  of  corn  and  small  garden  patches  on 
the  type,  and  wild  hay  is  cut  in  places,  but  weed  seed  carried  by  the 
streams  lessens  the  value  of  the  hay  land.  The  best  use  for  tliis  type 
is  pasture. 

The  price  of  the  land  ranges  from  $50  to  $150  an  acre,  according 
to  location  and  the  nature  of  adjoining  land.  The  wider  bottoms  of 
this  type  would  make  good  corn  and  oats  land  if  the  streams  were 
deepened  and  straightened,  so  as  to  prevent  overflow. 

Griffin  silt  loam,  light  phase. — The  light  phase  of  the  Griffin  silt 
loam,  if  of  sufficient  extent  and  importance  to  warrant  separation, 
might  properly  be  classed  as  the  Griffin  fine  sandy  loam.  The  sur- 
face soil  consists  of  dark  chocolate  brown  fine  sandy  loam,  with  an 
average  depth  of  about  12  inches.  The  subsoil  is  a  brown  or  grayish- 
brown  fine  sandy  loam,  more  or  less  mottled  with  drab  and  shades  of 
brown.  Near  the  stream  channels  the  texture  is  lighter  and  the  color 
more  uniform,  while  in  lower  parts  of  the  stream  bottom  the  subsoil 
is  heavier  and  more  mottled,  as  in  the  typical  silt  loam  areas. 

The  phase  is  encountered  in  only  a  few  areas,  the  largest  of  which 
is  in  the  Salt  Creek  Valley  west  of  Valparaiso.  The  area  mapped  in 
the  Calumet  Valley  north  of  JBurdick  is  hardly  typical.  Small  areas 
are  found  east  of  Suman  and  northwest  of  Lake  HoUister. 

The  topography  is  practically  level  and  smooth  except  for  the  slight 
irregularities  caused  by  old  stream  channels.  The  phase  is  naturally 
well  di-ained,  but  is  subject  to  overflow  after  very  heavy  rains. 

A  small  part  of  tliis  phase  is  forested  with  elm,  maple,  sycamore, 
and  other  lowland  trees.  A  few  small  fields  are  cultivated  to  corn 
and  truck  crops.  Most  of  the  phase  is  used  for  pasture.  In  crop 
yields  and  general  agricultural  value  the  phase  is  probably  equal  to 
the  typical  soil,  but  it  is  somewhat  better  drained,  warmer,  and 
earlier. 

MUCK. 

Muck  consists  largely  of  decayed  remains  of  marsh  grasses  and 
mosses.  Usually  it  is  very  mellow,  black  vegetable  mold  to  a  depth 
of  3  feet  or  more.  Sometimes  decomposition  has  been  retarded  and 
brown,  peaty,  fibrous  layers  occur  in  the  subsoil.  Usually  the  de- 
posits are  from  3  to  10  feet  deep.  Variations  occur  in  which  the 
muck  contains  a  relatively  large  admixture  of  sand  and  clay.  In 
some  areas  the  layer  of  muck  is  shallow  and  sand  or  clay  is  encountered 
within  18  to  36  inches  of  the  surface. 

The  Muck  is  scattered  through  various  parts  of  Porter  County. 
The  areas  occur  within  bodies  of  glacial,  glacial-lake,  and  outwash 
deposits.  Some  of  the  largest  areas  lie  northeast  of  Furncssvillc,  in 
the  Calumet  valley  north  of  Crisman,  south  of  Chesterton,  around 
Canada  Lake,  and  in  the  glacial  outwash  channels  south  of  Valparaiso 
and  Coburg. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   PORTEE   COUNTY,   INDIANA.  43 

The  topography  of  much  of  the  Muck  is  flat,  but  frequently  it 
occupies  a  rather  high  position  along  the  sides  of  depressions  and 
stream  channels.  Such  areas  are  due  to  the  springs  that  issue  from 
sandy  strata  and  keep  the  hillsides  in  a  saturated  condition  favorable 
to  a  luxuriant  growth  of  vegetation. 

In  its  natural  condition  the  Muck  was  water-logged  most  of  the 
time,  and  many  areas  are  still  very  wet.  However,  ditching  has 
reclaimed  the  greater  part  of  the  areas,  and  more  of  this  land  is 
brought  under  cultivation  each  year. 

Corn  is  practically  the  only  crop  grown  regularly  on  the  Muck. 
In  the  shallower  areas  oats  are  sometimes  grown.  A  few  small  fields 
are  devoted  to  potatoes  and  millet.  Marsh  hay  is  cut  from  some 
Muck  land,  but  a  part  of  it  is  too  hummocky  and  w^et  for  any  use 
except  pasture.  Corn  on  well-drained  Muck  yields  30  to  60  bushels 
per  acre,  but  the  quality  is  not  so  good  as  on  the  upland  soils,  and 
the  crop  is  sometimes  injured  by  early  frosts.  Oats  do  well,  but  are 
Hkely  to  lodge. 

little  use  has  been  made  of  any  kind  of  fertilizer  on  this  land,  as 
it  is  new  and  very  productive.  Potash  has  a  beneficial  effect  in 
increasing  yields  and  improving  the  quality  of  the  grain. 

Although  Muck  lands  were  w^orth  very  little  before  drainage  opera- 
tions began,  they  are  now  held  for  SlOO  or  more  an  acre. 

Most  fields  of  Muck  need  thorough  drainage.  Straw  and  ashes 
from  wood  or  corncobs  may  be  used  to  advantage  for  the  potash 
they  contain.  The  production  of  special  crops,  such  as  onions, 
potatoes,  peppermint,  sunflowers,  etc.,  has  been  found  profitable  on 
such  land  in  other  locaUties.^ 


Swamp  comprises  a  continuous  belt  along  the  Kankakee  River, 
varying  in  width  from  a  few  rods  to  about  2  miles  along  the  Lake 
County  hne.  The  northern  boundary  follows  the  edge  of  the  low- 
land timber  and  is  usually  marked  by  a  small  but  rather  sharp  rise 
to  areas  of  Plainfield  and  other  soils,  although  in  some  places  the 
adjoining  land  is  low  and  marshy. 

While  this  area  has  the  position  of  a  first  bottom  of  the  Kankakee 
River  and  has  always  been  subject  to  overflow  by  that  stream,  little 
of  the  soil  material  is  recent  alluvium.  A  strip  averaging  only  a 
few  rods  wide  occurs  as  a  slight  natural  levee  along  the  main  river 
chamiels,  and  in  this  strip  the  soil  has  the  characteristics  of  the  Griffin 
series.  , 

The  greater  part  of  this  forested  area  mapped  as  Swamp  has  a 
dark  soil  1  to  3  feet  deep,  underlain  by  grayish,  loose  waterworn 
sand    wliich  is  permanently    saturated.     Wide    textural   variations 

ri  Farmers'  Bui.  761,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 


44  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

occur  in  this  soil,  but  it  is  mainly  a  complex,  mucky  mass  of  material 
derived  from  the  limbs,  roots,  and  trunks  of  trees,  rather  than  grass 
and  moss.  Where  marshy  Maumee  soils  adjoin  the  timbered  belt, 
it  is  probable  that  their  soil  characteristics  continue  for  some  distance 
into  the  area  mapped  as  Swamp. 

The  timber  consists  largely  of  water  maple,  ash,  elm,  and  swamp 
oak,  with  some  birch  near  the  stream  ways.  In  a  few  open  glades 
rushes  and  cat-tails  grow  luxuriantly. 

The  capacity  of  the  old  river  together  with  that  of  the  dredged 
channels  is  far  too  small  to  carry  off  water  from  the  extensive  ditching 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  Kankakee  Basin,  x'^s  a  consequence  this 
low  land  is  often  inundated  to  a  depth  of  several  feet  for  weeks  at  a 
time.  This  condition  may  eventually  be  relieved  by  enlarging  and 
deepening  the  outlet  to  the  lower  Kankakee  Valley. 

Farmers  on  the  adjoining  prairie  land  usually  ovni  woodlots  in 
this  Swamp  area.  During  the  winter  they  go  into  the  woods  on  the 
ice  to  cut  and  haul  out  their  annual  supply  of  fire  wood. 

In  one  instance  in  Porter  County  an  attempt  was  made  to  prepare 
this  land  for  farming.  It  cost  $3.5  per  acre  to  clear  it,  in  addition  to 
the  cost  of  drainage,  and  the  land  was  not  sufficiently  productive  to 
make  the  venture  profitable. 

DUNESAND. 

Dunesand  includes  the  strip  of  sand  hills  along  the  lake  front. 
The  soil  is  similar  to  that  of  the  rolling  phase  of  the  Plainfield  fine 
sand,  but  the  topography  is  somewhat  rougher.  Most  of  this  land 
supports  a  growth  of  scrubby  oak.  A  number  of  "blow-outs"  occur 
where  the  wind  sweeps  up  sand  from  the  beach  through  long,  smooth 
troughs  cut  in  the  hills,  forming  bare  dunes  which  gradually  are 
built  up  over  the  trees.  East  of  Waverly  Beach  the  dunes  are  high, 
and  occupy  a  narrow  belt  broken  in  only  a  few  places  by  marshy 
depressions.  West  of  Waverly  Beach  numerous  depressions  are  in- 
closed by  the  dunes,  which  flatten  out  to  some  extent  west  of  Dune 
Park.  At  Dune  Park  the  sand  from  an  area  extending  to  the  lake 
front  has  been  hauled  away  by  the  railroads,  and  this  area  is  mapped 
as  the  rolling  phase  of  the  Plainfield  fine  sand.  A  movement  is  pro- 
jected to  make  a  national  park  of  the  dune  belt,  to  preserve  the 
natural  scenery.  A  number  of  cottages  are  located  among  the  dunes, 
and  many  camps  are  maintained  along  the  beach  during  the  summer. 
The  land  is  valueless  for  agricultin-e. 

SUMMARY. 

Porter  County,  Ind.,  is  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  State  on 
Lake  Michigan.  It  is  about  40  miles  from  Chicago.  The  county 
has  an  area  of  415  square  jniles,  or  256,600  acres. 


•    SOIL  SURVEY   OF   PORTER   COUNTY,    INDIANA.  45 

The  glacial  Lake  Chicago  Plain  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county, 
the  Valparaiso  morainic  system  across  the  center,  and  the  Kankakee 
Basin  in  the  southern  and  southeastern  section  are  the  main  physio- 
graphic divisions.  The  topography  of  the  northern  and  southern 
parts  of  the  county  is  generally  level  to  gently  sloping,  except  for 
the  narrow  belt  of  sand  dunes  along  the  Lake  Michigan  beach.  The 
moraine  belt  includes  considerable  rough  land,  especially  along  its 
northern  slope,  but  the  top  and  the  southern  part  are  generally  well 
suited  to  farming. 

Elevations  range  from  585  feet  at  Lake  Michigan  to  667  feet  at 
Dunnes  Bridge  and  888  feet  at  the  highest  point  of  the  moraine. 
The  surface  drainage  is  well  established  over  most  of  the  morainic 
area.  The  Kankakee  Basin  was  naturally  poorly  drained,  but  has 
been  reclaimed  by  dredged  ditches. 

Porter  County  was  first  settled  about  1822.  The  population  is 
reported  m  the  1910  census  as  20,540,  66  per  cent  of  which  is  classed 
as  rural.  The  population  of  Valparaiso,  the  county  seat  and  principal 
town,  is  given  as  6,987. 

The  county  was  first  reached  by  railroads  about  1850,  and  it  is 
now  well  supplied  with  transportation  faciUties,  both  steam  and 
electric.     The  county  has  a  large  mileage  of  improved  roads. 

Local  towns,  chiefly  Valparaiso,  constitute  good  markets  for  farm 
products.     Chicago  is  the  chief  outside  market. 

The  climate  is  temperate,  but  extreme  seasonal  and  monthly 
variations  in  temperature  and  rainfall  occur.  The  mean  annual 
temperature  is  about  49°  F.  and  the  mean  annual  precipitation  about 
31  inches.  The  growing  season  averages  about  173  days,  and  usually 
is  sufficiently  long  to  mature  all  the  staple  crops. 

At  present  cereals  constitute  the  most  important  agricultural 
products.  Animal  products  and  hay  and  forage  crops  rank  next. 
Corn  occupies  the  largest  acreage,  and  hay,  oats,  and  wheat  are  im- 
portant crops.  Porter  County  ranks  third  among  Indiana  counties 
in  the  production  of  milk.  Most  of  this  is  shipped  to  Chicago  as 
whole  milk,  and  little  cream  or  butter  is  sold.  A  part  of  the  grain 
and  rough  feed  is  used  for  hog  raising  and  the  fattening  of  cattle. 

Most  farms  are  well  equipped  and  well  managed.  Crops  are 
rotated  and  barnyard  manure  is  used  extensively.  Little  commercial 
fertilizer  is  applied.  Farm  labor  is  scarce  and  high  priced,  but  is 
efficient. 

The  average  size  of  the  farms  is  given  in  the  1910  census  as  125 
acres.  About  70  per  cent  of  the  farms  are  operated  by  the  owners, 
and  practically  all  the  remainder  by  tenants,  mainly  on  the  share 
basis.  The  1910  census  reports  a  total  of  1,915  farms,  about  90  per 
cent  of  the  area  of  the  county  being  farm  land.  Of  the  farm  land 
about  78  per  cent,  or  an  average  of  about  97  acres  per  farm,  is  reported 


46  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1916. 

improved.  The  average  assessed  value  of  farm  land  is  given  as 
$58.09  an  acre.     Improved  farms  are  held  for  $100  to  $150  an  acre. 

The  soils  of  Porter  County  are  composed  of  glacial,  glacial-Like, 
and  alluvial  materials.  They  are  classed  on  the  basis  of  origin,  color, 
topography  and  drainage,  and  other  features,  into  soil  series,  the 
series  being  separated  into  types  on  the  basis  of  texture.  Exclusive 
of  three  miscellaneous  classifications,  23  soil  types,  representing  11 
series,  are  mapped  in  Porter  County. 

The  Miami  series  includes  light-colored,  forested,  glacial  soils  with 
yellow  or  yellowish-brown  subsoils.  They  occupy  level  to  rough 
areas,  and  are  used  for  corn,  oats,  wheat,  hay,  and  dairying. 

The  Crosby  series,  represented  only  by  the  silt  loam  type,  differs 
from  the  Miami  chiefly  in  having  a  hght-gray  subsurface  layer,  and 
a  mottled  gray  subsoil. 

The  Carrington  is  a  dark-colored,  glacial,  prairie  soil.  This  series 
is  represented  by  the  silt  loam  and  a  light  phase  of  this  type.  Grain 
production  and  general  farming  are  practiced  on  the  land  of  this  type. 

The  Clyde  series  occupies  dark-colored,  poorly  drained  depressions 
within  areas  of  the  Miami,  Crosby,  and  Carrington  soils.  Only  one 
type,  the  Clyde  silty  clay  loam,  is  mapped. 

The  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silt  loam  of  the  Waukesha  series 
are  recognized  in  Porter  County.  These  are  well-drained,  dark- 
colored,  glacial-outwash  soils,  with  brown  subsoils  and  a  sandy 
substratum. 

The  Plainfield  series  comprises  the  light-colored,  timbered,  better 
drained  part  of  the  outwash  and  lake  plain,  where  the  soil  is  underlain 
by  sandy  strata.  The  fine  sand,  fine  sandy  loam,  and  loam  types 
are  mapped. 

The  Lucas  series  resembles  the  Miami,  but  the  topography  is  flat 
and  the  material  is  derived  from  lacustrine  deposits.  It  includes 
two  types,  the  loam  and  silt  loam. 

Soils  of  the  glacial-lake  beds  and  drainage  channels  which  have 
rather  deep,  black  to  dark-drab  soils  and  subsoils  in  which  gray 
predominates,  are  classed  in  the  Maumee  series.  The  substratum 
usually  consists  of  water-bearing  sand.  The  Maumee  loamy  fine 
sand,  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silty  clay  loam,  are  encountered 
in  Porter  County.     These  usually  are  good,  productive  soils. 

The  Homer  series  includes  lake-bed  soils  which  resemble  the 
Crosby  soils  in  appearance.  It  is  represented  by  a  single  type, 
the  Homer  silt  loam. 

The  Newton  series  includes  dark-brown,  shallow  soils  with  mottled 
yellow,  gray,  and  brown  subsoils  and  a  sandy  substratum.  It  is 
represented  by  three  types,  the  fine  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silt  loam, 
which  are  naturally  of  low  productiveness  on  account  of  their  acidity. 


SOIL    SURVEY    OF    PORTER    COUNTY,    INDIANA.  47 

With  heavy  apphcations  of  Hme  they  become  good  soils  for  corn 
and  the  other  general  crops. 

All  the  recent  alluvium  along  the  small  streams  of  the  county  is 
mapped  as  the  silt  loam  of  the  Griffin  series.  The  type  includes  a 
hght  phase.  The  soil  is  brown,  and  the  subsoil  mottled  brown,  drab, 
and  gray. 

The  material  mapped  as  Muck  consists  of  black,  well-decayed 
remains  of  water-loving  plants. 

Swamp  includes  the  timbered  belt  along  the  Kankakee  River. 
The  soil  consists  largely  of  dark-colored  material  of  complex  textures, 
overlying  a  grayish,  water-bearing  sandy  substratum. 

Dunesand  comprises  the  belt  of  sand  dunes  along  the  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan.     It  is  nonagricultural. 

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UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


pPuBLic  Resolution — No.  9.1 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  Amending  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congress,  second 
session,  approved  Febraary  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  "providing  for  the  printing 
annually  of  the  report  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  cf  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America 
in  Congress  assembled,  That  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  be 
amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  resoMng  clause  and  inserting, in  heu  theret)£ 
the  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on  field 
operations  of  the  Di\Tsion  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which  one  thousand 
five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three  thousand  copies  for  the 
use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture:  Provided,  That  in  addition  to  the  number  of  copies  above  pro- 
vided for  there  shall  be  printed,  as  soon  as  the  manuscript  can  be  prepared,  with 
the  necessary  maps  and  illustrations  to  accompany  it,  a  report  on  each  area  surveyed, 
in  the  form  of  advance  sheets  bound  in  paper  covers,  of  wliich  five  hundred  copies 
shall  be  for  the  use  of  each  Senator  from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use 
of  each  Representative  for  the  congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey 
is  made,  and  one  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

[On  July  1, 1901,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.J 


Areas  surveyed  in  Indiana. 


